Rekurrenssikiihdyttimissä

Rekurrenssikiihdyttimissä, often translated as recurrent accelerators or feedback accelerators in English, are a type of particle accelerator that uses a process of repeated acceleration in a closed path. Unlike linear accelerators where particles travel in a straight line and are accelerated only once, recurrent accelerators allow particles to pass through accelerating structures multiple times. This design offers the advantage of achieving higher particle energies with a more compact footprint compared to a linear accelerator of equivalent energy.

The core principle involves bending the particle beam using magnetic fields so that it re-enters the accelerating cavities. Each pass through these cavities adds more energy to the particles. Common examples of this principle include synchrotrons and cyclotrons, though the term "recurrent accelerator" can encompass various configurations. In synchrotrons, the magnetic field strength is increased in sync with the particle energy to keep the particles on a constant radius path. Cyclotrons, on the other hand, use a constant magnetic field and an increasing radio frequency to accelerate particles in a spiral path.

These accelerators are crucial in scientific research for generating high-energy particle beams used in fundamental physics experiments, as well as in medical applications such as proton therapy for cancer treatment and the production of radioisotopes for medical imaging. The ability to achieve high energies efficiently makes rekurrenssikiihdyttimissä valuable tools in both discovery and practical applications.