Patent ID: 7208889

Claim:
A particle accelerator system for producing a charged particle beam having pulses of charged particles that have different energy levels from pulse to pulse, said particle accelerator system comprising: a power source for generating electromagnetic waves; an injector for producing pulses of charged particles; a first accelerating section operable to receive said pulses of charged particles from said injector, said first accelerating section being further operable to receive said electromagnetic waves and to transfer energy thereof to said pulses of charged particles; a second accelerating section operable to receive said pulses of charged particles from said first accelerating section and to transfer energy to said pulses of charged particles; and, a phase shifter interposed between said power source and said second accelerating section for receiving said electromagnetic waves, for alternatively changing the phase of said electromagnetic waves between successive pulses of said pulses of charged particles, and for delivering said electromagnetic waves to said second accelerating section.