Cyclotrons are one of the most powerful particle accelerator technology
It was invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1929-1930
It can be defined as a type of particle accelerator in which charged particles accelerate outwards from the centre along a spiral path
These particles are kept on a circular trajectory by a magnetic field
They were further accelerated by a rapidly varying electric field
Let us briefly discuss the Working principle of Cyclotron
A cyclotron consists of two hollow “D”-shaped metallic boxes called “dees” inside a vacuum chamber
The "dees" are connected to an Alternating Voltage between them
They are located between the poles of an electromagnet which applies a magnetic field
A Cyclotron accelerates a charged particle beam using a high-frequency alternating voltage applied between the "dees"
The dees are placed face to face with a narrow gap between them, creating a space between them for the particles to move
The particles are injected into the centre of this space between the "dees"
The Magnetic field causes the path of the particles to bend in a circle due to the magnetic force perpendicular to their direction of motion
As the particles accelerate in the gap between the "dees", their velocity increases
Due to the increase in Velocity, the radius of their semi-circular path also increases
Eventually, the particles that come out of the Cyclotron have a very high Velocity
This implies, that the particles have been accelerated
Let us learn some important applications of Cyclotron
Cyclotrons are basically used as Particle Accelerators
Certain elements are accelerated and these highly energised particles are bombarded with a target material
Subsequent chemical reactions and particle analysis of the target material are studied
Cyclotrons are also used in the medicine industry and hospitals
It produces radioactive substances which are used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients
Cyclotrons can also be used in the treatment of cancer
The ion beams from Cyclotrons can be used to penetrate the body and kill tumours by radiation damage
But Cyclotron has some limitations as well
A Cyclotron is capable of accelerating heavy particles only
These heavy particles include α-particle, Deuterium, etc
This is because, if we consider a light particle such as an electron, even a small increase in the energy of the particle would make it move with an extremely high speed
A Cyclotron cannot accelerate uncharged particles, such as Neutron
This is because the Electrostatic force which causes the particle to move will be Zero if the charge of the particle is Zero
This can be shown mathematically that if the charge of the particle q=0, then Electrostatic Force F=qE will also be Zero
Revision
Cyclotrons are basically used as Particle Accelerators to perform and study nuclear reactions
Cyclotrons are also used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in hospitals
A Cyclotron is able to accelerate heavy particles only