A radiation treatment apparatus includes an accelerator that emits a charged particle beam, a time measurement unit that measures an emission time of the charged particle beam of the accelerator, a first control unit that controls the accelerator based on the emission time measured by the time measurement unit, and an emission determination unit that determines whether or not the accelerator is emitting the charged particle beam while the first control unit is controlling the accelerator. The time measurement unit adds a time, for which a result of a determination performed by the emission determination unit is that the accelerator is emitting the charged particle beam, to the emission time and does not add a time, for which the result of the determination performed by the emission determination unit is that the accelerator is not emitting the charged particle beam, to the emission time.

Passage through LINACs of electron bunches in their acceleration phase is coordinated with passage through the LINACs of electron bunches in their deceleration phase. Each successive pair of electron bunches are spaced in time by a respective bunch spacing, in accordance with a repeating electron bunch sequence. The electron source provides clearing gaps in the electron bunch sequence to allow clearing of ions at the undulator. The electron source provides the clearing gaps in accordance with a clearing gap sequence such that, for each of the plurality of energy recovery LINACS, and for substantially all of the clearing gaps: for each passage of the clearing gap through the LINAC in an acceleration phase or deceleration phase the clearing gap is coordinated with a further one of the clearing gaps passing through the LINAC in a deceleration phase or acceleration phase thereby to maintain energy recovery operation of the LINAC.

A device and method for generating pulses to activate and deactivate a kicker magnet is provided. When the kicker magnet is deactivated the circuit generates and stores a magnetic field in an inductor. When the kicker magnet is activated, the circuit changes configuration so that the magnetic field and current stored in the inductor can provide the necessary current to activate the kicker magnet is a minimal amount of time. The configuration of the circuit changes via the use of switches. The switches can employ Zener diodes arranged so as to provide protection against high voltage events and rogue neutrinos that may bombard the switches when the kicker magnet is used in the context of deflecting a particle beam.

An accelerator (30, 40, 50) includes: a plurality of acceleration cavities (31, 41, 51) having one or two acceleration gaps; and a plurality of first control means (33, 43, 53) provided with respect to each of the plurality of acceleration cavities, each of the plurality of first control means independently generating an oscillating electric field and controlling a motion of an ion beam inside a corresponding acceleration cavity. In addition, M-number of multipole magnets (32, 42, 52) which generate a magnetic field and which control a motion of an ion beam may be provided downstream to N-number of acceleration cavities. The first control means independently controls acceleration voltage and a phase thereof and supplies radiofrequency power. Accordingly, particularly in a front stage of acceleration, a DC beam from an ion generation source can be adiabatically captured.

An accelerator (30, 40, 50) includes: a plurality of acceleration cavities (31, 41, 51) having one or two acceleration gaps; and a plurality of first control means (33, 43, 53) provided with respect to each of the plurality of acceleration cavities, each of the plurality of first control means independently generating an oscillating electric field and controlling a motion of an ion beam inside a corresponding acceleration cavity. In addition, M-number of multipole magnets (32, 42, 52) which generate a magnetic field and which control a motion of an ion beam may be provided downstream to N-number of acceleration cavities. The first control means independently controls acceleration voltage and a phase thereof and supplies radiofrequency power. Accordingly, particularly in a front stage of acceleration, a DC beam from an ion generation source can be adiabatically captured.

For the purpose of providing a transportable linear accelerator system which can restrain entering of losing ion beams deviated from a trajectory therefor, to thereby efficiently achieve reduction in radioactivity at low cost, and a transportable neutron source equipped therewith, a transportable linear accelerator system is configured to be provided with a beam chopper just before an inlet of a post-accelerator, thereby to cut off, from the proton beams pre-accelerated by a pre-accelerator, uncontrolled proton beams, and thus to radiate only the controlled proton beams to the post-accelerator, so that the proton beams are prevented from hitting an acceleration electrode, etc. of the post accelerator.

For the purpose of providing a transportable linear accelerator system which can restrain entering of losing ion beams deviated from a trajectory therefor, to thereby efficiently achieve reduction in radioactivity at low cost, and a transportable neutron source equipped therewith, a transportable linear accelerator system is configured to be provided with a beam chopper just before an inlet of a post-accelerator, thereby to cut off, from the proton beams pre-accelerated by a pre-accelerator, uncontrolled proton beams, and thus to radiate only the controlled proton beams to the post-accelerator, so that the proton beams are prevented from hitting an acceleration electrode, etc. of the post accelerator.

In an example, a synchrocyclotron includes a particle source to provide pulses of ionized plasma to a cavity; a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column outwardly; and an extraction channel to receive a beam of particles from the cavity for output from the particle accelerator. The particle source is configured to control pulse widths of the ionized plasma in order to control an intensity of the beam of particles. This example synchrocyclotron may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

In an example, a synchrocyclotron includes a particle source to provide pulses of ionized plasma to a cavity; a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column outwardly; and an extraction channel to receive a beam of particles from the cavity for output from the particle accelerator. The particle source is configured to control pulse widths of the ionized plasma in order to control an intensity of the beam of particles. This example synchrocyclotron may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

Disclosed embodiments include an electron accelerator, having a resonant cavity having an outer conductor and an inner conductor; an electron source configured to generate and to inject a beam of electrons transversally into the resonant cavity; a radio frequency (RF) source coupled to the resonant cavity and configured to: energize the resonant cavity with an RF power at a nominal RF frequency, and generate an electric field into said resonant cavity that accelerates the electrons of the electron beam a plurality of times into the cavity and according to successive and different transversal trajectories; and at least one deflecting magnet configured to bend back the electron beam that emerges out of the cavity and to redirect the electron beam towards the cavity.