MedAustron—Project overview and status

MedAustron is the Austrian ion therapy and research centre, presently under construction in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The facility is based on a synchrotron which will deliver proton beams with kinetic energies up to 250 MeV and carbon ion beams up to 400 MeV/nucleon for clinical applications. In addition to the clinical applications, the accelerator will provide beams for nonclinical research in the fields of medical radiation physics, radiation biology and experimental physics with a proton energy range extended beyond medical requirements to 800MeV. An overview is given on the historical development of the project. The main design features of the accelerator facilities and medical facilities are presented and the actual status of the project is summarized.