Linear Accelerator Technology

Abstract

The expression ‘linear accelerator technology’ usually addresses all technological topics related to linear accelerators’ (linac) realization. These topics comprise, for instance, accelerating structures, Radio Frequency (RF) sources, magnets, diagnostics systems, controllers, power supplies, vacuum systems, particle sources, etc. Obviously, the extent of all these subjects is too wide to be covered in a single one-hour lecture and, therefore, this paper will only present an verview of the RF structures (including their fabrication technology) with a few examples of particle sources, RF sources and waveguide components. Moreover, the focus will be on linac technology for Free-Electron Lasers (FELs) and Energy Recovery Lasers (ERLs), which are electron accelerators. Electrons, in fact, even at very low energies (a few MeV) travel very close to the speed of light, and this fact has a direct consequence in the accelerating structures design, since they can be identical all along the linac.