"A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams."
Machines used to accelerate subatomic particles to high speeds in order to study their properties and behavior.
Electromagnetism: Study of the interactions and properties of electrically charged particles and electromagnetic fields, which is crucial in understanding the behavior of particles in particle accelerators.
Special Relativity: The theory of time and space developed by Albert Einstein that describes the behavior of objects moving at high speeds, is essential in understanding particle accelerators.
Quantum Mechanics: The study of the behavior of particles on the atomic and subatomic levels, is crucial in developing the mathematical framework used to design and operate particle accelerators.
Classical Mechanics: The study of the motion and behavior of macroscopic objects, is important in understanding the basic principles of particle accelerators.
Nuclear Physics: The study of the properties and behavior of atomic nuclei, is crucial in understanding the interactions between particles in particle accelerators.
Atomic Physics: The study of atomic structure and properties, is relevant in understanding the behavior of particles in particle accelerators.
Beam Dynamics: The study of the behavior of particle beams as they travel through particle accelerators, is important in designing and operating accelerators effectively.
Radiofrequency Cavities: The technology used to accelerate particles within accelerators, is critical to the operation of particle accelerators.
Magnetic Fields: The technology and principles of using magnetic fields to bend and focus particle beams, is essential in the design and operation of particle accelerators.
Detectors: The technology and principles of detecting and measuring particles within accelerators, is crucial to the scientific experiments carried out using particle accelerators.
Accelerator Components: The various components that make up particle accelerators, such as vacuum systems, power supplies, and cooling systems, are important in ensuring the safe and effective operation of particle accelerators.
Safety and Radiation Protection: The safety protocols and measures used to protect workers and the general public from the ionizing radiation associated with particle accelerators.
Particle Physics: The study of the properties and behavior of subatomic particles, is the primary focus of research conducted using particle accelerators.
Linear Accelerator (LINAC): A type of particle accelerator that uses a series of electrodes to accelerate particles in a straight line.
Cyclotron: A type of particle accelerator in which charged particles move in a circular path under the influence of a magnetic field.
Synchrotron: A type of particle accelerator in which particles are accelerated and kept in a circular path by a series of radio frequency cavities and powerful magnets.
Betatron: A type of particle accelerator in which charged particles are accelerated in a circular path by a changing magnetic field produced by a toroidal transformer.
Storage Ring: A type of particle accelerator in which charged particles are accelerated and stored in a circular path by a series of magnets.
Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS): A type of particle accelerator that is used to measure rare isotopes.
Electrostatic Accelerator: A type of particle accelerator that uses a high voltage to accelerate charged particles.
Van de Graaff Accelerator: A type of electrostatic accelerator that uses a belt to generate a high voltage.
Cockcroft-Walton Accelerator: A type of electrostatic accelerator that uses a series of capacitors and transformers to generate a high voltage.
Proton Synchrotron: A type of synchrotron accelerator that is used to accelerate protons to high energies.
Electron Synchrotron: A type of synchrotron accelerator that is used to accelerate electrons to high energies.
Free Electron Laser (FEL): A type of particle accelerator that produces high-energy beams of light by using a series of magnets to force electrons to wiggle back and forth.
Plasma Wakefield Accelerator: A type of accelerator that uses a plasma wave to accelerate particles to high energies.
Laser Wakefield Accelerator: A type of accelerator that uses a plasma wave generated by a laser to accelerate particles to high energies.
Proton Therapy Accelerator: A type of cyclotron or synchrotron that is used to generate a beam of protons for cancer treatment.
"The largest accelerator currently active is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland, operated by CERN."
"It is a collider accelerator, which can accelerate two beams of protons to an energy of 6.5 TeV and cause them to collide head-on, creating center-of-mass energies of 13 TeV."
"Other powerful accelerators are RHIC at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and, formerly, the Tevatron at Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois."
"Smaller particle accelerators are used in a wide variety of applications, including particle therapy for oncological purposes, radioisotope production for medical diagnostics, ion implanters for the manufacture of semiconductors, and accelerator mass spectrometers for measurements of rare isotopes such as radiocarbon."
"There are currently more than 30,000 accelerators in operation around the world."
"There are two basic classes of accelerators: electrostatic and electrodynamic (or electromagnetic) accelerators."
"Electrostatic particle accelerators use static electric fields to accelerate particles."
"The most common types are the Cockcroft–Walton generator and the Van de Graaff generator."
"The achievable kinetic energy for particles in these devices is determined by the accelerating voltage, which is limited by electrical breakdown."
"Electrodynamic or electromagnetic accelerators use changing electromagnetic fields (either magnetic induction or oscillating radio frequency fields) to accelerate particles."
"Since in these types the particles can pass through the same accelerating field multiple times, the output energy is not limited by the strength of the accelerating field."
"Rolf Widerøe, Gustav Ising, Leó Szilárd, Max Steenbeck, and Ernest Lawrence are considered pioneers of this field."
"Because the target of the particle beams of early accelerators was usually the atoms of a piece of matter, with the goal being to create collisions with their nuclei in order to investigate nuclear structure."
"Accelerators were commonly referred to as atom smashers in the 20th century."
"The term 'atom smashers' persists despite the fact that many modern accelerators create collisions between two subatomic particles, rather than a particle and an atomic nucleus."