Internally cooled linear accelerator and drift tubes

A drift tube linear accelerator for accelerating charged particles comprising:

• a radio frequency chamber maintaining a vacuum and having an inlet port and an exit port;
• an RF field source producing an oscillating radio frequency field within said chamber;
• a plurality of substantially cylindrical drift tubes, each said drift tube comprising;
• a respective stem having an inner end, an outer end, an inlet passage and an outlet passage, wherein said inlet passage and said outlet passage extend substantially from said inner end to said outer end of said corresponding stem;
• a respective substantially cylindrical hollow body of an electrically conductive material connected to said inner end of said corresponding stem and having a high energy end, a low energy end, a first side disposed adjacent said corresponding stem and a second side spaced apart from said first side, said first and second sides extending between said high and low energy ends, a respective first annular cooling channel located adjacent to said low energy end of said corresponding hollow body to facilitate cooling of said low energy end, a respective second annular cooling channel located adjacent to said high energy end of said corresponding hollow body to facilitate cooling of said high energy end, and a respective annular return channel disposed between said first and second annular cooling channels, said first and second cooling channels and said return channel enclosed within and encircling said corresponding hollow body, said first and second cooling channels being connected to said inlet passage of said corresponding stem through a disbursing channel disposed adjacent to said first side of said corresponding hollow body, said corresponding return channel being connected to said outlet passage of said corresponding stem, and said return channel being connected to said first and second cooling channels through a collecting channel disposed adjacent to said second side of said hollow body, such that cooling fluid travels from said inlet passage of said corresponding stem to said first and second cooling channels via said disbursing channel, and from said first and second cooling channels to said return channel via said collecting channel to said outlet passage of said stem from said return channel;
• a respective substantially cylindrical magnet disposed within and substantially coaxial with said corresponding hollow body and having a respective magnet orifice;
• a respective high energy end cap of an electrically conductive material interconnected to said corresponding high energy end of said corresponding hollow body and having a respective high energy orifice;
• a respective low energy end cap of an electrically conductive material interconnected to said corresponding low energy end of said corresponding hollow body and having a respective low energy orifice;
• a respective substantially cylindrical bore tube of an electrically conductive material extending from said corresponding low energy orifice through said corresponding hollow body and said corresponding magnet orifice to said corresponding high energy orifice, said corresponding bore tube being co-axial with said hollow body and having a respective central axis;
• wherein said central axes of said bore tubes are oriented along a line extending from said corresponding inlet port to said corresponding exit port, and each drift tube has a respective axial length, said corresponding axial length increasing for each successive drift tube to accommodate the increased velocity of said charged particles;
• and
• wherein said respective hollow body further includes:
• a respective substantially cylindrical chimney extending from said corresponding hollow
• a respective substantially cylindrical inner shell having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end surface, and a second end surface, said inner end of said stem being interconnected to said corresponding inner shell through said corresponding chimney;
• a respective substantially cylindrical cover disposed over and engaging said outer surface of said corresponding shell to define said corresponding return channel;
• a respective low energy Z-ring having an outer flange and an inner flange extending from a central element, said outer flange of said low energy Z-ring extending toward said corresponding magnet and said inner flange of said low energy Z-ring extending away from said corresponding magnet, wherein said outer flange and said central element of said low energy Z-ring engage said corresponding inner shell to define said respective first cooling channel;
• a respective high energy Z-ring having an outer flange and an inner flange extending from a central element, said outer flange of said high energy Z-ring extending toward said corresponding magnet and said inner flange of said high energy Z-ring extending away from said corresponding magnet, wherein said outer flange and said central element of said high energy Z-ring engage said corresponding inner shell to define said respective second cooling channel;
• and
• wherein said corresponding high energy end cap and said corresponding low energy end cap each have a respective flange slot, said corresponding inner flange of said corresponding high energy Z-ring engaging said corresponding flange slot of said corresponding high energy end cap and said corresponding inner flange of said corresponding low energy Z-ring engaging said corresponding flange slot of said corresponding low energy end cap.