BRAINCAKECyclotron
The cyclotron is a device used to provide high energy beams for particle accelerators used in research and in hospitals for radiation therapy. The cyclotron consists of two D-shaped electrodes (dees) in a vacuum chamber placed in a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the dees. High frequency a.c. is applied to the dees so that charged particles are forced into a circular path. On emerging from one dee the particle is accelerated across the gap and travels in a circle with a larger radius thus following a spiral path and emerging from the cyclotron with a much greater speed.
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Key terms in this lesson
- magnetic field
- A region of space in which a moving charge, current-carrying conductor or magnetic material experiences a force.
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All 8 lessons in Magnetic Fields · All OCR A-level Physics topics