Inside a Particle Accelerator

All particle accelerators, whether linacs or circular, have the following basic parts:

Particle source - provides the particles that will be accelerated
Copper tube - the particle beam travels in a vacuum inside this tube
Klystrons - microwave generators that make the waves on which the particles ride
Electromagnets (conventional, superconducting) - keep the particles confined to a narrow beam while they are travelling in the vacuum, and also steer the beam when necessary
Targets - what the accelerated particles collide with
Detectors - devices that look at the pieces and radiation thrown out from the collision
Vacuum systems - remove air and dust from the tube of the accelerator
Cooling systems - remove the heat generated by the magnets
Computer/electronic systems - control the operation of the accelerator and analyze the data from the experiments
Shielding - protects the operators, technicians and public from the radiation generated by the experiments
Monitoring systems - closed-circuit television and radiation detectors to see what happens inside the accelerator (for safety purposes)
Electrical power system - provides electricity for the entire device
Storage rings - store particle beams temporarily when not in use

In the next sections, we will examine these parts in detail, focusing on a linear accelerator like the one at SLAC.