kvadrupolikentän

Kvadrupolikentän, also known as quadrupole lens, is a type of electromagnetic lens used in particle accelerators and other scientific instruments. It consists of four electrodes arranged in a square or rectangular configuration, with opposite electrodes carrying the same electrical charge. The lens creates a quadrupole electric field, which focuses or defocuses charged particles passing through it, depending on their transverse position.

The quadrupole lens operates on the principle that a charged particle experiences a force perpendicular to its velocity when it passes through a non-uniform electric field. This force causes the particle to be deflected towards or away from the center of the lens, depending on its initial position. Particles that are initially closer to the center are deflected less and are focused, while those that are farther away are deflected more and are defocused.

Quadrupole lenses are widely used in particle accelerators to focus and steer beams of charged particles. They are also used in mass spectrometers to separate ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio. The design of quadrupole lenses allows for a compact and efficient focusing system, making them a popular choice in many scientific applications.