Patent ID: 8786217

Claim:
A method of fast-switching operation of a standing wave linear accelerator, said method comprising: injecting a first set of electrons into a longitudinal passageway of said accelerator, wherein said accelerator comprises a plurality of main cavities and a plurality of side cavities, each said side cavity communicating with two neighboring main cavities of said plurality of main cavities, wherein said longitudinal passageway communicates with said plurality of main cavities, wherein at least two side cavities of said plurality of side cavities each comprises an electronic switch, thereby providing at least two detunable side cavities, wherein said first set of electrons is accelerated in said longitudinal passageway by an electromagnetic wave coupled into said accelerator, and wherein said first set of electrons are emitted from said accelerator at a first energy when said electronic switches of said detunable side cavities are activated to a first activation state; activating, substantially simultaneously, said electronic switches of at least two of said detunable side cavities to a second activation state; and injecting a second set of electrons into said longitudinal passageway, wherein said second set of electrons is emitted from said accelerator at a second energy which is different from said first energy.