What is the Relationship Between Period and Magnetic Field in a Cyclotron?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
7 replies · 40K views
TFM
Messages
1,016
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



I am currently writing about Cyclotrons, and want to show how the period is related to the magnetic field.

Homework Equations



[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi}{\omega}[/tex]

[tex]\omega = \frac{v}{r}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I have rearranged the above formula to give:

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi}{\frac{v}{r}} = \frac{2 \pi r}{v}[/tex]

Now a website now goes onto to say that this is equal to:

[tex]\frac{2 \pi r}{v} = \frac{2\pi mv}{qBv}[/tex]

Now I don't want to just write this down (for a start is plagarism, but anyway), so could anyone recommend some useful laws that mat come in useful?

Thanks in advanced,

TFM
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The charge is held in a circular orbit in a cyclotron because the magnetic force (look up "Lorentz force law") produces an acceleration that is equal to the "centripetal acceleration for uniform circular motion". Look up those.
 
Thanks, So Lorentz Force:

[tex]F_{mag} = qv \times B[/tex]

Since these are perpendicular to each other:

[tex]F_{mag} = qvB[/tex]

This is then equal to the Centripetal acceleration:

[tex]a = \frac{v^2}{r}[/tex]

thus centripetal force is:

[tex]F_{cent} = \frac{mv^2}{r}[/tex]

These can thgus be equated when the particle is expirienceing constant circular motion (in the case of the cyclotron in the two 'D' sections):

[tex]F_{mag} = F_{cent} \therefore qvB = \frac{mv^2}{r}[/tex]

From before,

[tex]\omega = \frac{v}{r}[/tex]

this can rearrnge for v,

[tex]v = \omega r[/tex]

Put into equation:

[tex]q \omega r B = \frac{m(\omega r)^2}{r}[/tex]

[tex]q \omega r B = \frac{m \omega^2 r^2}{r}[/tex]

[tex]q \omega r B = m \omega^2 r[/tex]

And, again:

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi}{\omega}[/tex]

rearranged:

[tex]\omega = \frac{2 \pi}{T}[/tex]

reinsert:

[tex]q \omega r B = m (\frac{2 \pi}{T})^2 r[/tex]

[tex]q \omega r B = m \frac{4 \pi^2}{T^2} r[/tex]

Rearrange to get T:

[tex]T^2 q \omega r B = m 4 \pi^2 r[/tex]

[tex]T^2 = \frac{m 4 \pi^2 r}{q \omega r B}[/tex]

[tex]T = sqrt{\frac{m 4 \pi^2 r}{q \omega r B}}[/tex]

does this look right? I didn't think there was a square root?

TFM
 
You seem to be taking algebraic steps that aren't getting you closer to what you want. You are also not cancelling variables when they appear on both sides and keeping way to many related variables around. You were almost done when you wrote qvB=mv^2/r. T=2*pi*r/v. Just solve the first equation for v and substitute into the second. Don't forget to cancel the 'v'. Don't write v=sqrt(rqvB/m). If you do that you haven't really 'solved' for v. There is still one on both sides.
 
Thank's, so:

[tex]qvB = \frac{mv^2}{r}[/tex]

this can cancel down to:

[tex]qB = \frac{mv}{r}[/tex]

rearrange for v:

[tex]mv = rqB[/tex]

[tex]v = \frac{rqB}{m}[/tex]

So now we substitute this into:

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi r}{v}[/tex]

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi r}{\frac{rqB}{m}}[/tex]

This can be rearranged into:

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi r m}{rqB}[/tex]

Cancel down the r

[tex]T = \frac{2 \pi m}{qB}[/tex]

This looks a lot better.

Thanks,

TFM
 
Nice work TFM. Keep in mind, though, that you simplified the Lorentz force right away to assume no E field. That's okay, but may not be true in the case of the cyclotron (I don't know enough about cyclotrons to know whether that's true or not).