Cyclotron Quiz

Cyclotron Overview

• The cyclotron was invented by Ernest Lawrence in 1930.

Purpose of a Cyclotron

• The primary purpose of a cyclotron is to accelerate charged particles, such as protons, deuterons, or alpha particles, to high speeds, generating high-energy beams.

Acceleration Process

• A cyclotron accelerates charged particles using a combination of electric and magnetic fields.
• The particles accelerate in a spiral path, gaining energy with each orbit, due to the periodic acceleration by the electric field.

Role of Magnetic Field

• The magnetic field in a cyclotron is perpendicular to the particle's path, keeping the particles on a circular orbit, and also helping to focus the beam.
• The magnetic field's direction and strength determine the radius of the particle's orbit, which increases as the particle gains energy.