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Betatron



Betatron, apparatus designed to accelerate electrons to high velocities. Electrons are injected into a ring-shaped vacuum tube where an electromagnet running on alternating current creates a magnetic field whose polarity changes at short intervals. The electrons are accelerated around the ring by the changing magnetic field. Large betatrons can accelerate particles to energies of several hundred million electron volts.



See also: Particle accelerator.

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