What is the principle of cyclotron?

Working Principle of Cyclotron

• A cyclotron accelerates a charged particle beam using a high frequency alternating voltage which is applied between two hollow “D”-shaped sheet metal electrodes known as the “dees” inside a vacuum chamber.
• The dees are placed face to face with a narrow gap between them, creating a cylindrical space within them for particles to move. Particles are injected into the center of this space.
• Dees are located between the poles of electromagnet which applies a static magnetic field B perpendicular to the electrode plane.
• The magnetic field causes the path of the particle to bend in a circle due to the Lorentz force perpendicular to their direction of motion.
• An alternating voltage of several thousand volts are applied between the dees. The voltage creates an oscillating electric field in the gap between the dees that accelerates the particles.
• The frequency of the voltage is set so that particles make one circuit during a single cycle of the voltage. To achieve this condition, the frequency must be set to particle’s cyclotron frequency.