Mechanical Model of a Cyclotron

Equipment:

• lucite platform with etched spiral track and pivot
• counter weight with stem
• steel balls

Location:

• bin labelled "Cyclotron"

Notes:

• Transportable (take the whole bin), Working
• Assemble, then adjust counterweight rotation so that the platform sits level at the edge of a table. Tighten securely

Safety:

• Do not leave unattended - it could slip or rock itself off the table.

Description:

• When the cyclotron is rocking back and forth, drop in the particles and watch them accelerate in the gravitational field.
• Discuss the phase stability (it matters where the ball is with respect to the cycle when it enters).
• Make connections to a real cyclotron. What is the analogy to the electric field? Is there an analogy to the magnetic field?

References:

• A 10¹⁰ MeV Cylotron, R.D. Edge, American Journal of Physics, 42, 106 (1974).

Updated June 2023