Ionising radiations

Electrostatic electron accelerator

A particle accelerator is designed to transfer energy to charged particles by means of electric or magnetic fields.

In the case of an electrostatic electron accelerator, the energy of the electrons is communicated to them by a static electric field. This energy is proportional to the high accelerating voltage applied.
The intensity of the beam is controlled by the current of the filament from which the electrons are extracted. Thus, the electron beam delivered is fully parameterizable, in intensity and in energy.
In addition, the ATRON accelerator is equipped with a removable X target, allowing the generation of braking X-rays. ATRON therefore has an electron beam and a braking X-ray irradiation line, called FELIX because of the french translation "Faisceau d’Electrons et d'une Ligne d’Irradiation X".
It is a flexible, accurate and precise means of irradiation offering wide energy ranges and dose rates.

Electron beam

Electrons are charged, directly ionizing particles with limited depth of penetration into the material, but cause high dose rates.

The interaction of an electron beam, delivered by the accelerator in the material, generates radiative and corpuscular emissions of several natures.
Electrons are charged particles, whose interactions with matter are inevitable. They have the property of depositing all their energy in a restricted volume.
The FELIX accelerator of ATRON can deliver such beams, continuous, from 1 pA to 1 mA up to 2 MeV, and from 1 pA to 600 μA from 2 MeV to 3.5 MeV.

Braking radiation

The phenomenon of braking radiation results from the interaction of charged ultra-relativistic particles in an intense electric or magnetic field.

The braking radiation consists of photons of high energies. It results from the interaction of charged particles in a target of high electron density, for example tantalum.
Photons are neutral particles whose interaction with matter is accidental. Consequently, the penetration depth of the braking X-ray radiation into the material is high but cause a more limited dose rate.
The irradiation of matter by means of photons of high energies allows to deliver a medium quantity of energy over large thicknesses.
ATRON thus has an irradiation field X which allows wide ranges of dose rates, from 0.1 μGy/h to 1000 Gy/h.

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