The CERN hadron LINACs are linear accelerators that accelerate beams of hadrons from a standstill to be used by the larger circular accelerators at the facility.
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LINAC 1
LINAC 1 was designed and built during the 1950s to inject 50 MeV protons into the PS. The first beams were accelerated in 1958, and the accelerator was fully operational by 1959. From 1964 until its eventual decommissioning, the LINAC was used to accelerate light ions, such as deuterons, alpha particles, oxygen ions and sulphur ions. LINAC 1 ceased to be used in experiments in 1992.
LINAC 2
LINAC 2 replaced LINAC 1 as CERN's primary source of proton beams in 1978. It kept the same beam energy, but allowed for more intense beams. It injects into the PSB rather than directly into the PS.
LINAC 3
LINAC 3 was commissioned in 1994 and is used to accelerate lead ions for the LHC and fixed target experiments at the SPS and LEIR.
LINAC 4
LINAC 4 is a future linear accelerator, designed to replace LINAC 2 in 2020. Unlike its predecessors, LINAC 4 will accelerate negative hydrogen ions to an energy of 160 MeV.