Study Material

Class XII (Foundation)

by, Rumeet Bhatnagar

Cyclotron
It is a device used to accelerate charged particles like protons, deuterons,α-particles,etc. to very high
energies.

Principle:

A charged particle can to accelerated to a very high energies by making it pass through a moderate
electric field a number of times. This can be done with the help of a perpendicular magnetic and
field which throws the charged particle into a circular motion, the frequency of which does not
depend on the speed of the particle and the radius of the circular orbit.

Construction:

(i) It consists of two small hollow metallic discs D1 and D2 called Dees.
(ii) Dees are mounted inside a vacuum chamber between poles of powerful electromagnet.
(iii) The Dees are connected to source of high frequency alternation voltage of few hundred
kilovolts.
(iv) Beam of charged particles to be accelerated is introduced near the center of Dees in a
plane perpendicular to magnetic field.
(v) The charged particles are pulled out of Dees through deflecting plate kept near window
W. ( deflecting plate is negatively charged)
(vi) The whole device is in high vacuum ( 10-6 mm of Hg), so that charged particles may not
collide with air molecules.
Working:

 A positively charged particle , say proton is introduced in between the Dees.

 It gets accelerated towards D1 because of electric field.
 The perpendicular magnetic field throws it into a circular path.
 At the instant proton comes out of D1 polarities of Dees get reversed. Now D1 is positive and
D2 is negative.
 It moves faster through D2 describing a larger semicircle.
 Frequency of the applied voltage is kept exactly same as that of the frequency of revolution
of proton, so that every time proton reaches gap, electric field gets reversed and proton
receives push and finally acquires very high energy. This is called cyclotron’s resonance
condition.
 Accelerated proton follows spiral path and is finally ejected out of window by a deflecting
voltage and hits target.

Theory:

When charged particle is introduced perpendicular to the magnetic field, it describes a circular path.
Necessary centripetal force is provided by magnetic Lorentz force
Magnetic Lorentz force = Centripetal force on charge q

Period of revolution of charged particle is is given by

2 Bq
Cyclotron angular frequency ,   
T m
1 Bq
Cyclotron frequency ,   
T 2 m
It is also known as magnetic resonance frequency

Time spent by charge inside dee to cover semi circular path

t= =

t=
NOTE: Time which positive ion spends inside dee is independent of velocity & radius of semi- circular
path.

Maximum energy of the positive ions : Max velocity vmax is acquired by charged particle , when it
moves along the largest circular path of radius R ( radius of dee)
2
mvmax
Bqvmax 
R
BqR
vmax 
m
Therefore, max kinetic energy gained by positive ion
2
1 2 1  BqR 
Emax  mvmax  m 
2 2  m 

1 B2q2 R2
Emax 
2 m
If, V - potential difference applied between Dees

N – no. of times the positive ion crosses the gap b/w the two dees.

then,

Emax  N (Vq) [ N =2n, where n is no of turns completed by positive ion]

1 B2q2 R2
Hence, N (Vq) 
2 m

Limitations of cyclotron:

m0
1. When charged particle is accelerated its mass increases with increase in velocity m
v2
1
c2
 m0
Substituting of m in time spent inside the dee is t 
v2
Bq 1 
c2
 as v increases, m increases which in turn increases time spent by charged particle inside dee.
Since, electric field changes polarity after fixed time interval, the charged particle starts lagging
behind the electric field and it is ultimately lost by colliding against the wall of dee.

This problem is overcome in following two ways:

 v2
(i) B is increased in such a way that factor B 1  and hence t remains constant.
c2
Such a cyclotron in which the strength of B is adjusted to overcome problem due to relativistic
variation in mass of the positive ion, is called synchrotron.

v2
1
1 c2
(ii)    Bq
t 2 m0

v2
As v increases, 1 decreases, hence,  (frequency) decreases.
c2
If frequency of electric field is adjusted to be always equal to the frequency of revolution of the
charged particle then, such a cyclotron is called synchro – cyclotron or frequency modulated
cyclotron.

2. Cyclotron is used to accelerate heavy charged particles such as protons. It is not suitable for
accelerating electrons. Due to small mass, the speed of electrons increases rapidly. Due to quick
relativistic variation in their mass, the electrons get out of step with the oscillating electric field.