Patent ID: 8339071

Claim:
A method of producing a charged particle beam having pulses of charged particles that have different energy levels from pulse to pulse, the method comprising the steps of: generating electromagnetic waves with a power source; producing pulses of charged particles with an injector; receiving the electromagnetic waves and the pulses of charged particles in a first accelerating section of a particle accelerator; transferring the energy of the electromagnetic waves to the pulses of charged particles in the first accelerating section; receiving the pulses of charged particles from the first accelerating section in a second accelerating section of the particle accelerator; transferring energy to the pulses of charged particles in the second accelerating section; and receiving electromagnetic waves from the power source at a phase shifter interposed between the power source and second accelerating section; alternately changing the phase of the electromagnetic waves received by the phase shifter between successive pulses of the pulses of charged particles; and delivering the electromagnetic waves from the phase shifter to the second accelerating section.