Variable-energy drift-tube linacs

Practical applications of ion linacs are more viable now than ever before because of the recent development of the radio-frequency quadrupole accelerating structure, as well as other technological advances developed under the Pion Generator for Medical Irradiations program. This report describes a practical technique for varying the energy of drift-tube linacs and thus further broadening the possibilities for linac applications. This technique involves using the post couplers (normally used to flatten and stabilize the electric fields) to create a step in the fields, thus terminating the acceleration process. In the examples given for a 70-MeV accelerator design, when using this technique the energy is continually variable down to 20 MeV, while maintaining a small energy spread