Wilson Prize article: Reflections on our experiences with developing the theory of intrabeam scattering

We discuss our experiences with developing detailed theoretical descriptions of intrabeam scattering in particle accelerators. We focus on the historical importance of understanding intrabeam scattering for the successful operation of a variety of accelerators around the world. In doing so, we highlight the fact that the theoretical understanding of intrabeam scattering played a crucial role in the discovery of the top quark at Fermilab, intermediate vector bosonsW±, Z and the Higgs particle at CERN, and the perfect liquid quark-gluon plasma at Brookhaven’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We describe several useful high energy approximations to intrabeam scattering, including those that utilize a Modified Piwinski high energy approximation by Karl Bane that has gained wide usage in applications to electron damping rings and advanced light sources. Finally, we comment on the fact that a detailed understanding of intrabeam scattering at synchrotron-based advanced light sources is empowering many transformational discoveries in a myriad of disciplines.