Summary
Linear accelerators, LINACs for short, are devices that accelerate electrons or other sub-atomic particles along a straight line to generate a beam of high energy.
LINACs have a variety of commercial uses such as generating X-rays for cargo inspection, medical diagnostics, food sterilization, and even enabling precise external radiation treatments to destroy cancer cells without damaging surrounding tissue.
To generate more powerful electron beams using current technology, however, requires building larger LINACs that can grow to dozens of meters or longer depending on the application. Unfortunately, powerful LINACs are too large and heavy to be practical for military use in the field.
The Advanced Concept Compact Electron Linear-accelerator (ACCEL) program’s goal is to develop a powerful, deployable electron LINAC for military applications.
A high-power compact, rugged accelerator that can be transported by truck or aircraft to austere locations would provide multiple defense and homeland security benefits. It could be used for medical treatments in locales without advanced hospitals, remote detonation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and mobile imaging or inspection of shipping containers’ contents to counter chem-bio and radiological threats. A deployable LINAC could also enable portable sterilization for foods and surfaces to prevent contamination and infection in deployed environments.
The program seeks to develop a compact LINAC that can create electron beams with energy up to 35 mega-electron volts (MeV) in a package that weighs less than 75 kilograms and can fit in a 1-meter long cylinder with 0.4-meter diameter. The LINAC will need to be ruggedized so that it can be transported by air, rail, or truck and operate in widely varying heat or cold conditions.