Synchrotron – Particle Accelerator
Accelerator Facility
The heart of MedAustron will be the particle accelerator (synchrotron). It is fed by a linear accelerator (linac) and will have a diameter of approximately 25 metres. This circular accelerator provides the acceleration of the protons and carbon ions necessary for the treatment and research at very high speeds. Precisely guided by strong magnetic fields in vacuum tubes, the ions are then directed to the appropriate irradiation rooms. To generate this magnetic field up to 300 magnets are used (including 16 main dipole and 24 quadrupole magnets in the circular accelerator).
A team of MedAustron staff and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research CERN collaborates on the implementation of the accelerator.
- Protons (1H+) and carbon ions (12C6+)
- Intensity ≤ 1 x 1010 per pulse for protons
- Intensity ≤ 4 x 108 per pulse for carbon ions
- Energy of protons: 60-250 MeV (up to 800 MeV for research)
- Energy of carbon ions: 120-400 MeV/n
- Repetition rate: 0.5 Hz (2 s)
- Extraction time: 0.1-10 s
Other ion species, such as helium, may be available in another stage.
