Syklotronilla

Syklotronilla is the Finnish instrumental form of syklotroni, the device known in English as a cyclotron. A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses a strong, uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of particle motion and a rapidly switching electric field to accelerate charged particles along a spiral path. Particles are injected near the center and gain energy each time they cross the gap between two hollow, D-shaped electrodes called dees, moving outward as their energy increases.

As particles gain energy, they follow larger-radius orbits and can be extracted from the accelerator when they reach the desired energy or when a target interaction is required. The basic design has inspired several variants, including the isochronous cyclotron, which maintains a nearly constant revolution frequency for heavier particles, and the synchrocyclotron, which adjusts the radiofrequency to account for relativistic effects at higher energies. Modern medical cyclotrons are often compact versions designed for high-throughput production of isotopes for diagnostic imaging and therapy.

Historically, the cyclotron was invented in 1931 by Ernest O. Lawrence and M. Stanley Livingston in the United States, enabling new explorations in nuclear physics and the production of radioactive isotopes. Over time, cyclotrons have become essential tools in research and medicine. They are used to produce short-lived isotopes for positron emission tomography (PET) and other radiotracers, as well as in materials science and fundamental physics experiments. Safety and operation require robust shielding, controlled radiation exposure, and regulatory compliance due to strong magnetic fields, high voltages, and radioactive materials.