Particle Accelerators

​The standard model of matter

By Maria Woodbury

Evidence...

​Particle Accelerators

produce beams of charged particles with the following characteristics
-energies from a few MeV to GeV
-beams of various particle intensities (10¹⁶ particles per second)
-beams can be focussed on an area of a few mm²

​4 major components

(1) A source which produces the charged particles.

(2) A composite device to add energy to the particles and speed them up by applying a static or an oscillating electric field;

(3) A sequence of metallic tubes in vacuum to allow the particles to move freely in without colliding with air molecules or dust which can dissipate the beam;

(4) A system of electromagnets to steer and focus the beam particles or change their trajectories before being bombarded on a target sample.

Drag and Drop

Linacs operate by charging

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particles to a ​

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by subjecting them to a series of​

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electric potentials along a ​

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beam.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

sub atomic

high speed

oscillating

linear

radioactive

infinite speed

high

circular

By 1930s, it was evident that a particles increased towards relativistic velocities, their rest masses increased. This then caused changes to the resonant magnetic fields which became a problem.
Two approaches were then taken:
1. synchrocyclotrons which held the magnetic field constant but decreased the accelerating frequency
2. isochronous cyclotrons which held the accelerating frequencies constant, but changed the magnetic field

Multiple Choice

The purpose of the magnetic field in a synchroton is to do what to the particle?

• maintain the speed

• increase the speed

• maintain the direction

• change the direction

Reorder

Place the following in order of how they happen- in a synchrotron

• Particles are accelerated from rest

• Once the particles are moving, they enter the booster ring

• Acceleration of the particles is achieved by E and B fields

• Once the desired speed is attained, the particles enter the storage ring.

• There the particles produce radiation known as synchrotron light

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