Accelerator Form and Function

What are accelerators used for?

Quite simply, accelerators give high energy to subatomic particles, which then collide with targets. Out of this interaction come many other subatomic particles that pass into detectors. From the information gathered in the detectors, physicists can determine properties of the particles and their interactions.

The higher the energy of the accelerated particles, the more closely we can probe the structure of matter. For that reason a major goal of researchers is to produce higher and higher particle energies.

How many kinds of accelerators are there?

Particle accelerators come in two basic designs, linear (linac) and circular (synchrotron). The accelerator at SLAC is a linac.

The longer a linac is, the higher the energy of the particles it can produce. A synchrotron achieves high energy by circulating particles many times before they hit their targets.

Linacs are used in medicine as well as high energy physics research. How does the SLAC linac work? Check it out!

How do they work?

Your TV set or computer monitor contains the components of an accelerator. As you might suspect, operating an accelerator as large as the linac at SLAC is a challenging task. To learn more about the SLAC linear accelerator structural components and experimental facilities, select a link below.

Accelerator Components

Beam Switch Yard

Damping Rings

Electron Gun

Klystrons

Linac

Positron Production

Schematic diagram of experimental areas at SLAC

Last update 08/13/03
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