Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of particle accelerator: A cyclotron is a device that accelerates charged atomic or subatomic particles (like protons or electrons) in a spiral path using a constant magnetic field and a high-frequency alternating electric field. It imparts very high kinetic energies, typically in the range of several million electron-volts (MeV), to these rapidly moving particles for use in physics research, medicine (e.g., for producing radioisotopes), and industry.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The laboratory's first major piece of equipment was a cyclotron.
  • Protons are accelerated to high speeds inside the cyclotron.
  • The invention of the cyclotron was a milestone in nuclear physics.

Advanced Usage

• "Cyclotron radiation": Electromagnetic radiation emitted by charged particles as they are accelerated in a magnetic field, such as within a cyclotron. This radiation can be a limiting factor in the operation of high-energy cyclotrons.
  • The design had to account for energy loss through cyclotron radiation.

Variants and Related Words

• Synchrocyclotron (n): A later, modified type of cyclotron where the frequency of the accelerating electric field is varied (synchronized) to compensate for relativistic effects as particles gain mass at very high speeds, allowing for higher energy levels.

  • The synchrocyclotron was developed to overcome the energy limitations of the standard cyclotron.

• Isochronous cyclotron (n): A modern type of cyclotron where the magnetic field strength increases with radius, keeping the orbital frequency of particles constant and allowing for continuous, efficient acceleration.

  • The hospital's particle therapy center uses an isochronous cyclotron.

Synonyms

• Particle accelerator: The general category of devices that use electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds.
• Atom smasher (informal): A colloquial term for a particle accelerator.

Related Terms and Concepts

• Magnetic field: The field responsible for bending the path of charged particles into a spiral within a cyclotron.
• Radiofrequency (RF) cavity: The component that generates the alternating electric field which provides the accelerating "pushes" to the particles in a cyclotron.
• Dees: The two hollow, D-shaped metal electrodes inside a cyclotron between which the particles accelerate.

Noun

1. an accelerator that imparts energies of several million electron-volts to rapidly moving particles