Electron accelerator having a coaxial cavity

An electron accelerator comprising:

• a resonant cavity having an outer conductor and an inner conductor;
• an electron source configured to generate and to inject a beam of electrons transversally into the resonant cavity;
• a radio frequency (RF) source coupled to the resonant cavity and configured to:
• energize the resonant cavity with an RF power at a nominal RF frequency, and
• generate an electric field into said resonant cavity that accelerates the electrons of the electron beam a plurality of times into the cavity and according to successive and different transversal trajectories;
• and
• at least one deflecting magnet configured to bend back the electron beam that emerges out of the cavity and to redirect the electron beam towards the cavity;
• and
• wherein the RF source is configured to energize the resonant cavity with a pulsed RF power having a first pulse frequency, a first duty cycle which is smaller than 100%, and a first pulse duration.

A material detection system comprising:

• an electron accelerator that includes:
• a resonant cavity having an outer conductor and an inner conductor;
• an electron source adapted to generate and to inject a beam of electrons transversally into the resonant cavity;
• a radio frequency (RF) source coupled to the resonant cavity and adapted to:
• energize the resonant cavity with an RF power at a nominal RF frequency, and
• generate an electric field into said resonant cavity that accelerates the electrons of the electron beam a plurality of times into the cavity and according to successive and different transversal trajectories;
• and
• at least one deflecting magnet adapted to bend back the electron beam when it emerges out of the cavity and to redirect said electron beam towards the cavity;
• wherein the RF source is adapted to energize the resonant cavity with a pulsed RF power having a first pulse frequency, a first duty cycle which is smaller than 100%, and a first pulse duration.