Design criteria for high energy electron linear accelerators

We discuss the choice of basic characteristics in the design of linear accelerators for electrons of high energy. We determine how the overall length, the number of sections, the input power and the cost of construction and operation depend on the magnitude of the electric field intensity at the axis of the wave guide which consists of sections fed independently by high frequency generators. The minimum cost of construction and operation is independent of the final electron energy. We show that the sections are most advantageously fed by high frequency generators of the highest possible power (greater than 20 MW). We discuss the question of increasing the duration of the effective part of the high frequency pulse.