A linear accelerator works by having a magnet at the end of the accelerator. If the particle is neutral then it will not be attracted to the magnet and therefore nothing will happen, as in the case of a neutron.

A linac, which is a foreshortening of linear accelerator, is sometimes used to refer to that device.

Neutrons have a neutral charge. It is a particle's charge that permits it to be boosted in a linear accelerator. Thus protons and electrons can be boosted, but neutrons alone cannot.

Helmut Wiedemann has written:

'Particle accelerator physics II' -- subject(s): Beam dynamics, Particle accelerators, Design and construction

'Particle accelerator physics' -- subject(s): Beam dynamics, Linear accelerators

It is called the CERN accelerator complex.

The complex consists of the following Particle accelerators:

Linear accelerator I & II, Proton Synchrotron Booster, Low energy ring, Proton Synchrotron, Super proton snchrotron, and the Large Hadron Collider (as of Oct 18, 2009.)