CYCLOTRON


Meaning of CYCLOTRON in English

n.

Particle accelerator that accelerates charged atomic or subatomic particles in a constant magnetic field .

It consists of two hollow semicircular electrodes , called dees, in a large evacuated cylindrical box. An alternating electric field between the dees continuously accelerates the particles from one dee to the other, while the magnetic field guides them in a circular path. As the speed of the particles increases, so does the radius of their path, and the particles spiral outward. In this manner, a cyclotron can accelerate protons to energies of up to 25 million electron volts.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.