MOUNT LITERA ZEE SCHOOL

Physics Investigatory Project

On Cyclotron

Submitted by:

VISHAL KUMAR SINGH

Aim of Project
To give a brief description about
CYCLOTRON
A Cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator invented by
Ernest O. Lawrence in 1934 in which charged particles
accelerate outwards from the center along a spiral path.
The particles are held to a spiral trajectory by a static
magnetic field and accelerated by a rapidly varying
electric field.
 Principles and
Construction
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. Construction:
As shown in Fig, a cyclotron consists of the following
main parts:
1. It consists of two small, hollow, metallic half
cylinders DI and D2, called Dees as they are in the
shape of D.

2. They are mounted inside a vacuum chamber

between the poles of a powerful electromagnet.

3. The Dees are connected to the source of high

frequency alternating voltage of few hundred
kilovolts.

4. The beam of charged particles to be accelerated

is injected into the Dees near their center, in a plane
perpendicular to the magnetic field.
5. The charged particles are pulled out of the
Dees by a deflecting plate (which is negatively
charged) through a window W.

6. The whole device is in high vacuum (pressure

NIO-6 mm of Hg) so that the air molecules may not
collide with the charged particles.
 Theory
The positive ion P to be accelerated is placed in between the two
dees. If at any instant, DI is at negative potential and D2 is at positive
potential, then the ion gets accelerated towards DI but since its
perpendicular to B, it describes a circular path of radius r and Lorentz
force provides the centripetal force.
2

Now, equ

Time taken to describe a serricircle is

xrn

— can stent

If this time is equal to the tine during which Di and D2 change their
polarity, the ion gets accelerated when it arrives in between the gaps.
The electric field accelerates the ion further. Once the ion is inside the
dee D2, it now describes a greater semicircle due to the magnetic fied.
This process repels and the ion goes on describing a circular path of
greater radius and finally acquires a high energy. The ion is further
rermved from a window W. The maximum energy acquired by the
ion source is
rnv20
- 3qvo
3qro

222

2m

The frequency of cyclotron is given by

 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 and when it comes near the edge, it is taken out with
the help Of a deflector plate (D.P). The particle with high
energy is now allowed to hit the target T.

acteteraticn
holbw

electrode chambers

charged particle

alternating
Current
source electromagnet
(south pole)
 Uses
The high energy particles produced in a cyclotron
are used to bombard nuclei and study the resulting
nuclear reactions and hence investigate nuclear
structure.
The high energy particles are used to produce other
high energy particles, such as neutrons, by
collisions. These fast neutrons are used in atomic
reactors.
It is used to implant ions into solids and modify
their properties or even synthesis new materials