synchrotron

[ sing-kruh-tron ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a type of cyclotron consisting of magnetic sections alternately spaced with sections in which particles are electrostatically accelerated.

synchrotron

/ ˈsɪŋkrəˌtrɒn /

noun

1. a type of particle accelerator similar to a betatron but having an electric field of fixed frequency with electrons but not with protons as well as a changing magnetic field. It is capable of producing very high energies in the GeV range

synchrotron

/ sĭng′krə-trŏn′ /

1. A type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles (generally protons) in a circular path. Unlike cyclotrons and synchrocyclotrons, in which particles follow a spiral path, synchrotrons consist of a single ring-shaped tube through which the particles loop numerous times, guided by precisely synchronized magnetic fields and accelerated at various points in the loop by electric field bursts. Synchrotrons are currently the most powerful particle accelerators, and the study of high-energy collisions driven by synchrotrons has lead to the discovery of many subatomic particles.
2. See also cyclotronSee Note at particle accelerator

Word History and Origins

Origin of synchrotron¹

First recorded in 1945–50; synchro- + -tron

Word History and Origins

Origin of synchrotron¹

C20: from synchro- + ( elec ) tron

Example Sentences

They took their own sample from that core and conducted a number of tests, including examining a rock sample with a synchrotron—a very, very bright source of light, especially X-rays.

From Popular-Science

To actually look into the ice, the scientists took their anvils and samples to Argonne National Laboratory in suburban Chicago to use a synchrotron, a machine that can produce strikingly bright X-rays.

From Popular-Science

To peek inside a coprolite from Poland, the researchers used a synchrotron.

From Science News For Students

The synchrotron scan revealed whole beetle fossils that rival the quality of similar specimens in amber, along with fragments of the same kind of beetle.

From Science News

Curious whether much older, fossilized poop could match the fossil quality of amber specimens, Qvarnström and colleagues used a synchrotron, which generates powerful X-rays, to peek inside a coprolite from Poland.

From Science News

Related Words

• accelerator