The Beams Department (BE) provides CERN with the unique competencies required for the conception, design, survey, alignment, control and operation of accelerators, accelerator test facilities, secondary beam lines and experimental areas. It also invests heavily in training new generations of physicists, engineers and technicians in related fields.

The Beams Department is responsible for:

• beam operation and optimisation of the entire CERN accelerator complex, its secondary lines, experimental areas and the accelerator test facilities AWAKE and CLEAR.
• supporting the CERN experiments through the management of related facilities and by providing key expertise, support and services for the successful implementation, control, monitoring and operation of their technical infrastructures.
• development of the beam dynamics theory and simulation codes for the design and optimization of particle sources, linear and circular accelerators and secondary beam lines.
• conception, study and development of future accelerators and acceleration techniques for high-energy physics and societal or industrial applications.
• specification, design and development of generic controls infrastructures, accelerator timing and software solutions for the control and monitoring of all CERN accelerators and the supporting technical infrastructures of both the accelerators and experiments.
• geodetic metrology of accelerators, primary and secondary beam transfer lines and experimental detectors for the whole CERN site including remote monitoring and alignment systems.
• infrastructure and management of the CERN irradiation facilities, support for radiation testing, and qualification of radiation tolerant electronics for accelerators.
• a central CERN service for the layout, industrialisation and production of electronics modules
• generic mechatronics support for the accelerator sector and robotic solutions for inspection and tele-manipulation in radioactive areas.
• around-the-clock monitoring and first line intervention for the CERN general infrastructure.
• safety aspects associated with CERN accelerator operation and associated experimental area infrastructure.

The department contributes to:

• the HL-LHC project, the approved studies for future colliders and new acceleration techniques, and the Physics Beyond Colliders initiatives in the domains of responsibility mentioned above
• education, training  and teaching activities in international schools on accelerator physics and technology