A cyclotron is used for accelerating positive ions, so that they acquire energy large enough to carry out nuclear reactions. Cyclotron was designed by Lawrence and Living stone in 1931 in order to overcome the drawbacks of the linear accelerator. In a cyclotron, the positive ions cross again and again the same alternating electric field and thereby gain the energy. It is achieved by making them to move along spiral path under the action of a strong magnetic field. It is also known as magnetic resonance accelerator.
PRINCIPLE OF CYLOTRON :
It is based on the principle that a positive ion can acquire sufficiently large energy with a comparatively smaller alternating potential difference by making them to cross the same electric field time and again by making use of a strong magnetic field.