The TRILAC: A compact linac for materials analysis

Abstract

With the development of the radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) structure, the ion linear accelerator (linac) has become an accepted particle accelerator for applications in research, medicine, and industry. The small size and weight, and the high efficiency achievable with the RFQ make it ideally suited for applications which require portability. These unique properties have been incorporated into the design of a new portable accelerator system, the TRILAC, for materials analysis applications. The result is a very compact RFQ linac in a small self-contained unit that can be configured to provide either 1.25 MeV protons, 900 keV deuterons or 2.3 MeV alpha particles. The current available varies from less than 100 nA to more than 100 μA depending on the application. The TRILAC is mounted in a standard equipment cabinet, only 6 ft × 2 1 2 ft in size, and can be easily transported or moved about a plant or laboratory that has limited floor space for applications in materials analysis.