A particle accelerator in which a beam gains kinetic energy along a substantially straight sequence of accelerating structures.
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A linear particle accelerator, or linac, is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged particles, such as electrons, protons, or other ions, in a straight line. Unlike circular accelerators, which use magnetic fields to bend the path of the particles into a circular trajectory, linacs utilize a series of accelerating structures to impart energy to the particles as they travel through them.