Edexcel A-Level Physics Particle Accelerators and Detectors

Practise Edexcel A-Level Physics particle accelerators and detectors by explaining linac tubes, cyclotron fields and ionisation.

Exam points

explain why linac drift tubes increase in length while particle speed rises between tubes
analyse cyclotron acceleration using alternating potential difference and magnetic-field timing
describe how particle detectors use ionisation to reveal charged-particle tracks

[Maximum number: 2]

The photograph shows a hospital radiotherapy machine that contains a linear accelerator (linac). The linac accelerates electrons to very high speeds for use in treating cancer.

(c) Alexander Tihonov/Pearson Asset Library)

The diagram shows part of a simplified linac.

Figure for Question 4.5.114 - Fields in particle accelerators and detectors question 1 — Edexcel A-Level Physics A2

An electron enters the linac from the electron gun with a speed of $2.5 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{~m} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}$ . The electron passes through 60 drift tubes before emerging from the other end.

For very high energy electrons, successive drift tubes have the same length.

Explain why.

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4.5.114 - Fields in particle accelerators and detectors question 1