cyclotron

noun

cy·​clo·​tron ˈsī-klə-ˌträn 

: an accelerator in which charged particles (such as protons, deuterons, or ions) are propelled by an alternating electric field in a constant magnetic field

Examples of cyclotron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether Yuan himself or the prospect of access to a cyclotron had a greater influence on Wu's transfer decision remains open to debate! —Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023

Ion cyclotron heating antennas: Also called radiofrequency heating antennas, these antennas bombard the plasma with 120-megahertz radio waves to heat it. —IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2023

Lawrence, who had worked with Japanese scientists to build the first cyclotrons outside the U.S., was the last member of the committee to agree that using the bomb was the only choice, for the possibility of a dud demonstration was too great to risk. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023

Hartnett plays Ernest Lawrence, a nuclear physicist and the inventor of the cyclotron who becomes J. Robert Oppenheimer’s close friend at the University of California, Berkley. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 July 2023

And in the 1930s came the first circular particle accelerator—a palm-size device invented by Ernest Lawrence called the cyclotron, which could accelerate protons to about 80 kilovolts. —Chandrashekhar Joshi, Scientific American, 1 July 2021

Last year, the cyclotron was replaced by FRIB’s new, more powerful, $730 million linear accelerator. —Byscience News Staff, science.org, 13 Apr. 2023

The magnetic field produced by a cyclotron accelerates particles to dizzying speeds. —Michelle Frank, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2023

Ernest Lawrence works on a 37.5-inch cyclotron, a great-granddaddy of the LHC. —Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2015

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Word History

Etymology

cycl- + -tron; from the circular movement of the particles

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cyclotron

noun

cy·​clo·​tron ˈsī-klə-ˌträn 

: a device in which charged particles are propelled to high speeds by an alternating electric field in a constant magnetic field

Medical Definition

cyclotron

noun

cy·​clo·​tron ˈsī-klə-ˌträn 

: an accelerator in which charged particles (as protons, deuterons, or ions) are propelled by an alternating electric field in a constant magnetic field