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Name of creator

Giorgio Brianti

Biographical history

• Divisional leader of the MSC, Machine Synchro-Cyclotron division 1964 - 1967.
• Divisional leader of the SI, Synchrotron Injector division 1968 - 1972.
• Divisional leader of the SPS, Super Proton Synchrotron division 1979 - 1980.
• Technical Director 1981 - 1989.
• Associate Director for Future Accelerators 1990 - 1993.

Joining the Laboratory in 1954, Brianti was initially involved in industrial liaison, a theme to which he subsequently returned. After work on the magnets and then the controls and instrumentation for the new PS proton Synchrotron, he moved on to operations.

In 1964 he became leader of Machine Synchro-Cyclotron (MSC) Division, at a time when the SC, CERN's first machine, was being substantially upgraded and its role extended for the ISOLDE (on-line isotope separator).

In 1967 he took charge of the team building the Booster, a new synchrotron to inject beams into the PS. As wall as fulfilling its immediate objective of improving PS performance, the innovative design of the Booster and its astonishing adaptability are still paying dividends. Built to operate at 800 MeV, it has shown its ability to attain 1.4 GeV and its ability to cope with future LHC (Large Hadron Collider) beams.

When John Adams was forming his team to build CERN's next major proton synchrotron, the SPS, Brianti's skills were eagerly sought, but with continuing responsibilities for the Booster, he transferred to the complex preparations for its experimental areas, initially for fixed target work. In 1976 he became Deputy Leader of SPS Division, moving on to lead the Division in 1979. During this time he supervised the imaginative work required to convert the SPS for historic role as a proton-antiproton collider. 

In 1981 he became Technical Director at a time when the challenge of developing the technology for CERN's future requirements demanded increasing cooperation with industry. With the LHC emerging as the Laboratory's major long-term objective, in addition to his Director ship duties he put in much dedicated effort to prepare way for this technically demanding machine. Superconducting magnets, long one of Brianti's pet ideas, were brought to the fore and the stamp of his expertise is written all over the present LHC design, both for the machine infrastructure and the main dipole magnets themselves. In recognition of his deep involvement in plans for the LHC, in 1990 he became Associate Director for Future Accelerators.

He retired from CERN in April 1995.

*Source: CERN Courier, May 1987

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Francoise Tetu