Speaker
Description
Linear accelerators constitute the backbone of high-intensity beam facilities and continue to expand their reach in science, medicine, and energy. This lecture presents the main technological and scientific frontiers of modern linacs, addressing the challenges of achieving multi-megawatt beam power with high efficiency and reliability. The key components of high-power proton and ion linacs are reviewed, including ion sources, normal- and superconducting accelerating structures, RF power generation, cryogenics, and beam dynamics control. Examples are drawn from operational and emerging facilities such as SNS, ESS, SPIRAL2, FRIB, and accelerator-driven systems for energy applications (MYRRHA, CIADS, DONES). The transition to superconducting continuous-wave operation, strategies for beam loss mitigation, redundancy, and remote maintainability are discussed as enablers of long-term availability.