Provided herein are high energy ion beam generator systems and methods that provide low cost, high performance, robust, consistent, uniform, low gas consumption and high current/high-moderate voltage generation of neutrons and protons. Such systems and methods find use for the commercial-scale generation of neutrons and protons for a wide variety of research, medical, security, and industrial processes.

Provided herein are high energy ion beam generator systems and methods that provide low cost, high performance, robust, consistent, uniform, low gas consumption and high current/high-moderate voltage generation of neutrons and protons. Such systems and methods find use for the commercial-scale generation of neutrons and protons for a wide variety of research, medical, security, and industrial processes.

A linear accelerator head for use in a medical radiation therapy system can include a housing, an electron generator configured to emit electrons along a beam path, and a microwave generation assembly. The linear accelerator head may include a waveguide that is configured to contain a standing or travelling microwave. The waveguide can include a plurality of cells that are disposed adjacent one another, wherein each of the plurality of cells may define an aperture configured to receive electrons therethrough. The linear accelerator head can further include a converter and a primary collimator.

A linear accelerator head for use in a medical radiation therapy system can include a housing, an electron generator configured to emit electrons along a beam path, and a microwave generation assembly. The linear accelerator head may include a waveguide that is configured to contain a standing or travelling microwave. The waveguide can include a plurality of cells that are disposed adjacent one another, wherein each of the plurality of cells may define an aperture configured to receive electrons therethrough. The linear accelerator head can further include a converter and a primary collimator.

A system has a linear accelerator, ion pump and a compensating magnet. The ion pump includes an ion pump magnet position, an ion pump magnet shape, an ion pump magnet orientation, and an ion pump magnet magnetic field profile. The compensating magnet has a position, a shape, an orientation, and a magnetic field profile, where at least one of the position, shape, orientation, and magnetic field profile of the compensating magnet reduce at least one component of a magnetic field in the linear accelerator resulting from the ion pump magnet.

A hybrid linear accelerator is disclosed comprising a standing wave linear accelerator section (SW section) followed by a travelling wave linear accelerator section (TW section). In one example, RF power is provided to the TW section and power not used by the TW section is provided to the SW section via a waveguide. An RF switch, an RF phase adjuster, and/or an RF power adjuster is provided along the waveguide to change the energy and/or phase of the RF power provided to the SW section. In another example, RF power is provided to both the SW section and the TW section, and RF power not used by the TW section is provided to the SW section, via an RF switch, an RF phase adjuster, and/or an RF power. In another example, an RF load is matched to the output of the TW section by an RF switch.

A hybrid linear accelerator is disclosed comprising a standing wave linear accelerator section (SW section) followed by a travelling wave linear accelerator section (TW section). In one example, RF power is provided to the TW section and power not used by the TW section is provided to the SW section via a waveguide. An RF switch, an RF phase adjuster, and/or an RF power adjuster is provided along the waveguide to change the energy and/or phase of the RF power provided to the SW section. In another example, RF power is provided to both the SW section and the TW section, and RF power not used by the TW section is provided to the SW section, via an RF switch, an RF phase adjuster, and/or an RF power. In another example, an RF load is matched to the output of the TW section by an RF switch.

Disclosed herein is a waveguide for use in a linear accelerator. The waveguide comprises cells arranged to receive a beam of charged particles therethrough along a particle path, and is configured to receive an electromagnetic field from a source of electromagnetic radiation. A plurality of the cells are individually switchable cells, with each individually switchable cell comprising a respective switch configured to adjust the supply of electromagnetic radiation to the individually switchable cell.

A Hybrid (SW+TW) Linear Accelerator is disclosed having high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation that is useful for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects. The Hybrid Linear Accelerator (LINAC) provides superior energy regulation, and includes a reversed RF power distribution which substantially improves RF power utilization, thereby eliminating need for an output RF load, and ensuring broad electron beam energy regulation operating in a broad range of input RF power, thereby efficiently running at a variety of input electron beam current intensities at high efficiency. The Hybrid LINAC may be equipped with a fast and/or slow phase shifter and/or a power regulator having a phase shifter and a current regulator, while operating much more efficiently than known LINACS. The Hybrid LINAC permits efficient operation without an external magnetic field, thereby avoiding use of a power-consuming solenoid, consequently reducing cost of production, operation, and maintenance.

A Hybrid (SW+TW) Linear Accelerator is disclosed having high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation that is useful for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects. The Hybrid Linear Accelerator (LINAC) provides superior energy regulation, and includes a reversed RF power distribution which substantially improves RF power utilization, thereby eliminating need for an output RF load, and ensuring broad electron beam energy regulation operating in a broad range of input RF power, thereby efficiently running at a variety of input electron beam current intensities at high efficiency. The Hybrid LINAC may be equipped with a fast and/or slow phase shifter and/or a power regulator having a phase shifter and a current regulator, while operating much more efficiently than known LINACS. The Hybrid LINAC permits efficient operation without an external magnetic field, thereby avoiding use of a power-consuming solenoid, consequently reducing cost of production, operation, and maintenance.