[en] Radiation therapy with ''hadrons'' (protons, neutrons, pions, ions) has accrued a 55-year track record, with by now over 30,000 patients having received treatments with one of these particles. Very good, and in some cases spectacular results are leading to growth in the field in specific well-defined directions. The most noted contributor to success has been the ability to better define and control the radiation field produced with these particles, to increase the dose delivered to the treatment volume while achieving a high degree of sparing of normal tissue. An additional benefit is the highly-ionizing, character of certain beams, leading to creater cell-killing potential for tumor lines that have historically been very resistant to radiation treatments. Until recently these treatments have been delivered in laboratories and research centers whose primary, or original mission was physics research. With maturity in the field has come both the desire to provide beam facilities more accessible to the clinical setting, of a hospital, as well as achieving, highly-efficient, reliable and economical accelerator and beam-delivery systems that can make maximum advantage of the physical characteristics of these particle beams. Considerable work in technology development is now leading, to the implementation of many of these ideas, and a new generation of clinically-oriented facilities is beginning to appear. We will discuss both the physical, clinical and technological considerations that are driving these designs, as well as highlighting, specific examples of new facilities that are either now treating, patients or that will be doing so in the near future

[en] The Bevatron/Bevalac 30 years operational experience is described, which can be devided into four major periods: first commissioning and yearly experimental period, when the Bevatron was among the highest-energy machines available (1954-1962): second, a period of (1963-1972): third, the light ion (a less than or equal to 56) period (1974-1981); and finally, the ongoing heavy-ion period. Studies presently in progress shound the possibility of using the Bevatron as an injector to a small storage - ring system called the minicollider, these two superconducting rings can fit quite readily into the existing site with a minimum of impact on present facilities. Factors of particular importance for successfully delivering heavy-ion beams are shown

[en] Radiation therapy with hadron beams now has a 40-year track record at many accelerator laboratories around the world, essentially all of these originally physics-research oriented. The great promise shown for treating cancer has led the medical community to seek dedicated accelerator facilities in a hospital setting, where more rapid progress can be made in clinical research. This paper will discuss accelerator and beam characteristics relevant to hadron therapy, particularly as applied to hospital-based facilities. A survey of currently-operating and planned hadron therapy facilities will be given, with particular emphasis on Loma Linda (the first dedicated proton facility in a hospital) and HIMAC (the first dedicated heavy-ion medical facility)

[en] The operational experience of the Bevatron can be divided into four major periods: first, the commissioning and early experimental period, when the Bevatron was among the highest-energy machines available (1954-1962); second, a period of increasing beam intensity and higher sophistication in the experimental program (1963-1973); third, the light-ion (A less than or equal to 56) period (1974-1981; and finally, the ongoing heavy-ion period. Reference material for this paper was taken mainly from internal LBL reports and log books

[en] Beams of unstable nuclei can be formed by direct injection of the radioactive atoms into an ion source, or by using the momentum of the primary production beam as the basis for the secondary beam. The effectiveness of this latter mechanism in secondary beam formation, i.e., the quality of the emerging beam (emittance, intensity, energy spread), depends critically on the nuclear reaction kinematics, and on the magnitude of the incident beam energy. When this beam energy significantly exceeds the energies typical of the nuclear reaction process, many of the qualities of the incident beam can be passed on to the secondary beam. Factors affecting secondary beam quality are discussed, along with techniques for isolating and purifying a specific secondary product. The ongoing radioactive beam program at the Bevalac is used as an example, with applications, present performance and plans for improvements

[en] In past years particle accelerators have become increasingly important tools for the advancement of medical science. From the pace of advancing technology and current directions in medical research, it is clear that this relationship between accelerators and medicine will only grow stronger in future years. In view of this importance, this relationship is investigated in some detail, with an eye not so much towards the medical uses of the beams produced, but more towards the technology associated with these accelerators and the criteria which make for successful incorporation of these machines into the clinical environment. In order to lay the necessary groundwork, the different kinds of accelerators found in medical use today are reviewed briefly discussing salient points of each

[en] The neutron scattering community has endorsed the need for a high- power (1 to 5 MW) accelerator-driven source of neutrons for materials research. Properly configured, the accelerator could produce very short (sub-microsecond) bursts of cold neutrons, said time structure offering advantages over the continuous flux from a reactor for a large class of experiments. The recent cancellation of the ANS reactor project has increased the urgency to develop a comprehensive strategy based on the best technological scenarios. Studies to date have built on the experience from ISIS (the 160 KW source in the UK), and call for a high-current (approx. 100 mA peak) H^- source-linac combination injecting into one or more accumulator rings in which beam may be further accelerated. The 1 to 5 GeV proton beam is extracted in a single turn and brought to the target-moderator stations. The high current, high duty-factor, high brightness and high reliability required of the ion source present a very large challenge to the ion source community. A workshop held in Berkeley in October 1994, analyzed in detail the source requirements for proposed accelerator scenarios, the present performance capabilities of different H^- source technologies, and identified necessary R ampersand D efforts to bridge the gap

[en] The newest particle accelerators are almost always built for extending the frontiers of research, at the cutting edge of science and technology. Once these machines are operating and these technologies mature, new applications are always found, many of which touch our lives in profound ways. The evolution of accelerator technologies will be discussed, with descriptions of accelerator types and characteristics. The wide range of applications of accelerators will be discussed, in fields such as nuclear science, medicine, astrophysics and space-sciences, power generation, airport security, materials processing and microcircuit fabrication. 13 figs

[en] The advantageous physical characteristics of slowing-down and stopping charged particle ion beams have been demonstrated to be highly desirable for application to radiation therapy. Specifically, the prospect of concentrating the dose delivered into a sharp-defined treatment volume while keeping to a minimum the total dose to tissues outside this volume is most appealing, offering very significant improvements over what is possible with established radiation therapy techniques. Key to achieving this physical dose distribution in an actual treatment setting is the technique used for delivering the beam into the patient. Magnetically scanned beams are emerging as the technique of choice, but daunting problems remain still in achieving the utmost theoretically possible dose distributions. 21 refs., 2 figs

[en] Higher energy accelerators continue to play an important role in nuclear physics, probing ever more deeply into the properties and behavior of the constituents of nuclear matter. Three main projectile-types currently used are electrons, light hadrons (protons, mesons) and heavy ions; each addresses different aspects of the reaction process. Current and planned accelerators for each of these probes are discussed