Linac

Linac

A linac is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear beamline. The most common type of linac is used for electron acceleration, but linacs can also accelerate other particles, such as protons and neutrons.

History

The concept of a linac was first proposed by Rolf Widerøe, who in 1928 applied for a patent on the idea. The first operational linac was developed in the 1940s by Luis Alvarez at the University of California, Berkeley.

Design and operation

A linac consists of a series of RF cavities, which are essentially hollow metal cylinders. The cavities are arranged in a straight line, and the particles to be accelerated are injected into one end of the linac. An electric field is applied to the cavities, which causes the particles to accelerate as they pass through each cavity.

Applications

Linacs have a wide range of applications, from particle physics research to radiation therapy for cancer treatment. In the medical field, linacs are used to generate high-energy X-rays for radiography and radiotherapy.

See also

• Cyclotron
• Synchrotron
• Betatron

Linac Resources
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