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RB211
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I'm working on plans to build a small cyclotron as a DIY project (I'm a high school student). I've spent over a month researching a variety of sources (the rutgers cyclotron, etc.) and am working on some calculations, but I'm stuck with the mean free path equation.
the equation I was using was =/sqrt2 ^2a
I've looked at other examples that used a vacuum with a pressure of 10^-6 torr and using the atomic radius of a hydrogen atom that gave a mean free path of 100m. assuming all else is equal, my calculations indicate that temperature would have to be about 3000k. Does it really get that hot inside a cyclotron, even a small one that only accelerates particles to about 2 Mev? and if pressure is already part of the equation, why should temperature affect the mean free path available? it isn't expanding out any more when temperature increases as pressure is still the same. Do the fast moving particles create more path space?
also, out of curiosity, is it possible to produce ionizing radiation with a 1-2 Mev cyclotron?
the equation I was using was =/sqrt2 ^2a
I've looked at other examples that used a vacuum with a pressure of 10^-6 torr and using the atomic radius of a hydrogen atom that gave a mean free path of 100m. assuming all else is equal, my calculations indicate that temperature would have to be about 3000k. Does it really get that hot inside a cyclotron, even a small one that only accelerates particles to about 2 Mev? and if pressure is already part of the equation, why should temperature affect the mean free path available? it isn't expanding out any more when temperature increases as pressure is still the same. Do the fast moving particles create more path space?
also, out of curiosity, is it possible to produce ionizing radiation with a 1-2 Mev cyclotron?