Abstract: Standing-wave linear accelerators (linac) having a plurality of accelerating cavities and which do not have any auxiliary cavities are provided. Such linacs are useful for industrial applications such as radiography, cargo inspection and food sterilization, and also medical applications such as radiation therapy and imaging. In one embodiment, the linac includes an electron gun for generating an electron beam, and a plurality of accelerating cavities which accelerates the electron beam by applying electromagnetic fields generated by a microwave source. At least two adjacent accelerating cavities of the plurality of accelerating cavities are coupled together by at least one coupling iris. The electromagnetic fields resonate through the plurality of accelerating cavities, and the operating frequency of the electromagnetic fields is selected so that the linear accelerator is operating at a ?-mode or a mode close to the ?-mode.

Abstract: Some embodiments include an accelerator waveguide to receive RF power, the accelerator waveguide comprising a side cavity, an element fixedly disposed within the side cavity, and a device coupled to the element, wherein the device and the element are operable to control a resonant frequency of the side cavity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tuning a charged particle accelerator (40) are described. An accelerator tuning system (44) includes a graphical user interface (110) that guides a tuning technician (42) through an accelerator tuning process and interfaces with a measurement instrument (46) configured to measure characteristic parameters of the accelerator (40). The graphical user interface (110) enables the technician (42) to make parameter measurements and interpret the results of those measurements more quickly and easily. A computer (50) may be programmed to generate the graphical user interface (110), and instructions (51) for generating the graphical user interface (110) may be carried on a computer-readable medium. An accelerator tuning method includes the steps of guiding a user through an accelerator tuning process and interfacing with a measurement instrument (46) configured to measure characteristic parameters of the accelerator (40).

Abstract: A method and system for automatically conditioning a linear accelerator is disclosed. The method and system comprise the steps of measuring the global variables of the accelerator and evaluating a plurality of events based upon the measurement of the global variables in which the plurality of events have a hierarchy of importance. Finally, the method and system includes performing an action in response to the hierarchy of importance of the plurality of events. Accordingly, a system and method in accordance with the present invention allows an accelerator to be conditioned unattended. The system and method in accordance with the present invention combines software and hardware to measure global variables and modifies the condition of the accelerator based upon those variables. Through the use of a system and method in accordance with the present invention conditioning can proceed in small systematic steps, thereby resulting in better-conditioned accelerators.