Principle and Working of Cyclotron

Cyclotron- Principle, Construction & Working

Cyclotron

Cyclotron is a device used to accelerate charged particles to high energies. It was devised by Lawrence

Principle

Cyclotron works on the principle that a charged particle moving normal to a magnetic field experiences magnetic lorentz force due to which the particle moves in a circular path.

Working:

When a positive ion of charge q and mass m is emitted from the source, it is accelerated towards the Dee having a negative potential at that instant of time. Due to the normal magnetic field, the ion experiences magnetic lorentz force and moves in a circular path. By the time the ion arrives at the gap between the Dees, the polarity of the Dees gets reversed. Hence the particle is once again accelerated and moves into the other Dee with a greater velocity along a circle of greater radius. Thus the particle moves in a spiral path of increasing radius . The particle with high energy is now allowed to hit the target T.