Botswana university students get hands-on with NRF-iThemba LABS' particle accelerator

Three-week training programme gives five students and researchers from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) and the University of Botswana practical experience on the 3-MV Tandetron accelerator, part of a wider push by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to build accelerator science skills and open doors for women in the field across the region.

Five students and researchers from Botswana are spending three weeks at the National Research Foundation (NRF)-iThemba LABS in Cape Town learning to operate one of the country’s most sophisticated pieces of scientific equipment, a 3-million-volt (3-MV) Tandetron particle accelerator.

The group, made up of Ms Kago Kelly Molebatsi, Ms Katlego Thaone and Ms Myheart Kealeboga Ditlamelo from BIUST, and Dr Gaogalalwe Mokgatitswane from the University of Botswana, is training at the facility’s Tandetron Laboratory from 20 July to 7 August 2026. The visit is financially supported by the IAEA and hosted by Dr Christopher Mtshali, Research Scientist at NRF-iThemba LABS, with the BIUST contingent supervised by Prof Gregory Hillhouse, HOD: Physics and Astronomy and Dr Henry Vasco, Lecturer and Scientist.

NRF-iThemba LABS is a collaborating centre of the IAEA and has built its programme around advancing accelerator-based science and technology on the African continent, promoting the practical use of nuclear techniques through research, development and training.

From ion source to end-station

The training is structured to take participants through the full operating chain of the accelerator, from ion source to end-station, while exposing them to the range of experimental techniques used at NRF-iThemba LABS to advance research in the field.

In the first week, under the guidance of Ms Sisanda Gcinisa, Tandetron Operator, participants worked through ion source operations which included extraction, start-up and shutdown procedures, beam transport, and beam observation using scanners and viewers, building a foundation in the safe, efficient operation of the accelerator system.

The second week moved into experimental technique, with ion beam analysis scientists Dr Christopher Mtshali, Dr Nametso Mongwaketsi, Dr Boitumelo Mabakachaba and Dr Zakhelumuzi Khumalo guiding the group through microbeam quadrupole alignment, beam focusing and brightness optimisation, size measurements, and data collection and analysis. Students also worked with two established analytical techniques, proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), deepening their grasp of accelerator-based research methods.

The final week turns to data processing and interpretation, giving participants the tools to analyse their experimental results and draw meaningful scientific conclusions of their own.

Building regional capacity and opening doors for women in science

Beyond the technical skills, the programme is intended to strengthen ties between NRF-iThemba LABS, BIUST and the University of Botswana, part of a broader effort to grow scientific expertise and research capacity across the region. The cohort’s composition is also deliberate; with women making up the majority of the group, the training doubles as an opportunity to expose a group traditionally under-represented in the field to an environment where they can develop with the support of experienced mentors.

It is the kind of initiative NRF-iThemba LABS points to as central to its mission, to give rising scientists access to world-class research infrastructure, specialised training and international scientific collaboration, and in doing so, helping shape the next generation of researchers on the continent.