linear accelerator n an accelerator in which particles are propelled in a straight line and receive successive increments of energy through the application of alternating potentials to a series of electrodes and gaps
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(linac)
a machine that accelerates particles to produce high-energy radiation, used in the treatment (radiotherapy) of malignant disease.
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an accelerator that propels high-energy particles in a linear beam, using energy from an electromagnetic field; its medical use is in radiotherapy to penetrate tissue and minimize the radiation dose at the surface of the body.Medical dictionary. 2011.