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.

Embodiments of the disclosed system and method provide for generating a multiple-energy X-ray pulse. A beam of electrons is generated with an electron gun and modulated prior to injection into an accelerating structure to achieve at least a first and second specified beam current amplitude over the course of respective beam current temporal profiles. A radio frequency field is applied to the accelerating structure with a specified RF field amplitude and a specified RF temporal profile. The first and second specified beam current amplitudes are injected serially, each after a specified delay, in such a manner as to achieve at least two distinct energies of electrons accelerated within the accelerating structure during a course of a single RF-pulse. The beam of electrons is accelerated by the radio frequency field within the accelerating structure to produce accelerated electrons which impinge upon a target for generating Bremsstrahlung X-rays.

Embodiments of the disclosed system and method provide for generating a multiple-energy X-ray pulse. A beam of electrons is generated with an electron gun and modulated prior to injection into an accelerating structure to achieve at least a first and second specified beam current amplitude over the course of respective beam current temporal profiles. A radio frequency field is applied to the accelerating structure with a specified RF field amplitude and a specified RF temporal profile. The first and second specified beam current amplitudes are injected serially, each after a specified delay, in such a manner as to achieve at least two distinct energies of electrons accelerated within the accelerating structure during a course of a single RF-pulse. The beam of electrons is accelerated by the radio frequency field within the accelerating structure to produce accelerated electrons which impinge upon a target for generating Bremsstrahlung X-rays.

A linac-based X-ray system for cargo scanning and imaging applications uses linac design, RF power control, beam current control, and beam current pulse duration control to provide stable sequences of pulses having different energy levels or different doses.

An apparatus includes an accelerator guide and a shielding structure enclosing the accelerator guide. The accelerator guide includes an electron source at a first end, a target at a second end, and a plurality of accelerating cavities coupled in series along a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end. The accelerator guide has a contour as viewed in the longitudinal axis. The shielding structure has an inner wall surface defining a contour as viewed in the longitudinal axis generally conformal to the contour of the accelerator guide.

A particle accelerator for creation of a bunched particle beam and a method for the operation of such a particle accelerator are provided, wherein the particle accelerator includes an HF source and a directional coupler for splitting HF power of the HF source of an HF side into at least a first and a second HF power coupler of a cavity side for coupling in the HF power into at least one accelerator cavity. A. non-reciprocal phase shifter is inserted on the cavity side between the directional coupler and the second HF power coupler, and an HF load is connected on the HF side to the directional coupler, where the non-reciprocal phase shifter is configured to pass a reflected HF wave of the second HF power coupler with phase delay in the direction of the directional coupler in such a way that a destructive interference of the reflected HF waves of the first and second power couplets occurs in the directional coupler in the direction of the source on the HF side.

A compact radio-frequency quadrupole ‘RFQ’ accelerator for accelerating charged particles, the RFQ accelerator comprising: a bunching section configured to have a narrow radio-frequency ‘rf’ acceptance such that only a portion of a particle beam incident on the bunching section is captured, and wherein the bunching section bunches the portion of the particle beam; an accelerating section for accelerating the bunched portion of the particle beam to an output energy; and, a means for supplying radio-frequency power.

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.