Question

Write three uses of cyclotron.

Answer 1

Hint – In this question use the concept that cyclotron is basically a particle accelerator and basically an electrically powered machine which produces a beam of charged particles consider the practical application of this concept in the medical industry moreover in nuclear reactors. This will help approaching the problem.

Complete step-by-step solution -
As we all know, a Cyclotron is a type of a particle accelerator invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1929-1930 at the University of California, Berkeley and patented in 1932.
A Cyclotron accelerates the charged particles outwards from the center along a spiral path (i.e. from a flat cylindrical vacuum chamber along a spiral path).
It is an electrically powered machine which produces a beam of charged particles that can be used for:
$\left( i \right)$ Medical applications – It can be helpful in particle therapy to treat cancer,
$\left( {ii} \right)$ It can also be helpful to kill tumors by radiation damage i.e. ion beams from cyclotrons penetrate the body and helpful to kill the tumors in human brain by radiation damage process, while by minimize the damage to the healthy tissue along their path.
$\left( {iii} \right)$ If a nuclear reactor or a cyclotron is used to generate a radioisotope is based on the radioactive properties needed.
Atoms with extra protons in the nucleus are called neutron deficient and are formed as a cyclotron in a particle accelerator. Atoms with extra nucleus neutrons are known as neutron-rich atoms and are formed in a nuclear reactor, such as OPAL.
Radioisotopes rich in neutrons and poor in neutrons decay by various means and thus have different properties and different uses. Radioisotopes produced in cyclotrons supplement those produced in reactor systems. Both types of radioisotopes are required to meet all nuclear medical needs in Australia.
So this is the required answer.

Note – The principle of the cyclotron is based upon the involvement of the electric field in order to accelerate the particles. Cyclotron generally has a flat cylinder at the center. In a cyclotron we have electromagnets so dees are located between these magnets and they tend to apply some magnetic field which is perpendicular to the electrode plate.