Sector-focused cyclotrons

This paper will discuss the principles of operation of the sector-focused cyclotron as well as the major design problems which have evolved and the progress which has been made as shown in recent studies of this device. The cyclotron1 produces energetic beams of charged particles, which are used principally as a research tool to probe the atomic nucleus in an attempt to understand in detail the nature of the forces which hold the nucleus together. An important subsidiary use of the cyclotron beams is for isotope production work. Generally, only neutron-rich radioisotopes can be produced in a nuclear reactor. Neutron-deficient isotopes, of which there are many of practical importance, require the use of charged particle beams such as are obtained from the cyclotron.