Argonne Wakefield Accelerator. The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator or AWA research focuses on the physics and technology of advanced methods to accelerate charged particles. The goal is to identify and to develop techniques which may lead to more efficient, compact, and inexpensive particle accelerators. The AWA facility is supported by the DOE's HEPD Section for Technology Development, and is specifically designed for accelerator research which requires intense, short-pulse electron beams. Examples include wakefield acceleration, generation of high power cm wavelength rf, and beam-driven plasma-based techniques.