DESY is one of the world’s leading accelerator centres. Founded in Hamburg in 1959, and named for its first project (the Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron), DESY hosted the PETRA storage ring, where the gluon was discovered, and the HERA collider, where the structure of the proton was studied with unprecedented precision. Research at DESY now focuses on four areas: accelerators, photon science, particle physics, and astroparticle physics.
CERN Courier laboratory correspondent: Till Mundzeck
Read article 'Double plasma progress at DESY'
New developments tackle two of the biggest challenges in plasma-wave acceleration: beam quality and bunch rate.
Read article 'Charting DESY’s future'
DESY’s new chair, Beate Heinemann, reflects on the laboratory’s evolving role in science and society – from building next-generation accelerators to navigating Europe’s geo...
Read article 'The new particles'
Fifty years ago, the discovery of the J/ψ and its excitations sparked the November Revolution in particle physics, giving fresh experimental impetus to the theoretical ideas that ...
Read article 'Accelerator sustainability in focus'
A workshop on sustainability for future accelerators took place on 25–27 September in Morioka, Japan.
Read article 'Dieter Proch 1943–2024'
Dieter Proch made significant contributions to accelerator science at DESY and beyond.
Read article 'Plasma acceleration under the microscope'
DESY researchers have measured the energy evolution of an electron bunch inside a laser-plasma accelerator for the first time.
Read article 'Volker Soergel 1931–2022'
Volker Soergel headed DESY in 1981–1993, overseeing construction of the HERA electron–proton storage ring.
Read article 'The axion search programme at DESY'
Watch this webinar now to explore the ongoing axion search activities at DESY.
Read article 'DESY’s innovation ecosystem delivers impact for industry'
Djamschid Safi explains how big science is helping European companies to fast-track the development of innovative products, services and applications.
Read article 'Hymn to HERMES'
The former HERMES experiment at DESY, a pioneer in unravelling the mysteries of the proton spin, is the protagonist in a new book by Richard Milner and Erhard Steffens.
Read article 'First light beckons at SLAC’s LCLS-II'
An ambitious upgrade of the US flagship X-ray free-electron laser rests on sustained cooperation with high-energy physics labs in the US, Europe and Japan.
Read article 'New directions at DESY'
Beate Heinemann describes the latest activities at DESY and the importance of demonstrating the wider benefits of particle physics.