A 15 Mev Linear Electron Accelerator Based Source of Tunable Monochromatic X-rays

In an increasing range of research fields there is a strong demand of high-intensity tunable monochromatic X-ray sources. A promising new approach for the production of tunable high-intensity monochromatic beams in the hard X-ray region is the use of electron accelerators of moderate energy (10 MeV range). We developed at the 15 MeV linear electron accelerator of the Ghent University a monochromatic X-ray source with a resolution better than 0.1%, tunable in the energy region between 60 and 700 keV. The original concept is based on the monochromatisation of a broad bremsstrahlung spectrum produced with a high-intensity electron beam, by Bragg-Laue diffraction on a curved single-crystal and focussing through a slit system. The intensity of the monochromatic beams is highly dependent on the quality of the high-power beams delivered by the electron accelerator. The design, construction, performance and some applications of the source are described in detail.