Linear accelerator

Linear accelerator (often shortened to 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 principles for such machines were proposed by Gustav Ising in 1924, while the first machine that worked was constructed by Rolf Widerøe in 1928 at the RWTH Aachen University.

History

The concept of a linear accelerator was first conceived by Gustav Ising in 1924. However, it was not until 1928 that the first working model was built by Rolf Widerøe at the RWTH Aachen University. This early model was able to accelerate potassium and lithium ions to an energy of 50 keV.

Design and operation

A linear accelerator consists of the following components: an electron gun, a waveguide, a linear accelerator tube, and a treatment head. The electron gun releases electrons into the waveguide where they are accelerated to nearly the speed of light. The accelerated electrons then pass through the linear accelerator tube where they gain energy. Finally, the high-energy electrons are directed to the treatment head where they are used for various applications.

Applications

Linear accelerators have a wide range of applications. They are used in medicine for radiation therapy, in industry for the generation of X-rays, and in scientific research for the study of subatomic particles.

See also

• Particle accelerator
• Cyclotron
• Synchrotron

External links

• Official website

Linear accelerator Resources
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