State the underlying principle of a cyclotron. Write briefly how this machine is used to accelerate charged particles to high energies.

Cyclotron works on the principle that an oscillating electric field can be used to accelerate a charge particle to high energy.

In a cyclotron, the charged particles across the gap between the two D-shaped magnetic field regions are accelerated by an electric field. The magnetic field is perpendicular to the paths of the charged particles that make them follow circular paths within the two Dee’s. An alternating voltage accelerates the charged particles each time they cross the Dee’s. The radius of each particle’s path increases with its speed. So, the accelerated particles spiral toward the outer wall of the cyclotron.

The accelerating electric field reverses just at the time the charge particle finishes its half circle so that it gets accelerated across the gap between the Dee’s. The particle gets accelerated again and again, and its velocity increases. Therefore, it attains high kinetic energy.