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HSC Physics

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  1. Module 5: Advanced Mechanics
    5.1 Projectile Motion
  2. 5.2 Circular Motion
  3. 5.3 Motion in Gravitational Fields
    2 Topics
  4. Module 6: Electromagnetism
    6.1 Charged Particles, Conductors and Electric and Magnetic Fields
  5. 6.2 The Motor Effect
    1 Topic
  6. 6.3 Electromagnetic Induction
  7. 6.4 Applications of the Motor Effect
    1 Topic
  8. Module 7: The Nature of Light
    7.1 Electromagnetic Spectrum
    3 Topics
  9. 7.2 Light: Wave Model
  10. 7.3 Light: Quantum Model
    2 Topics
  11. 7.4 Light and Special Relativity
  12. Module 8: From the Universe to the Atom
    8.1 Origins of the Elements
    5 Topics
  13. 8.2 Structure of the Atom
    3 Topics
  14. 8.3 Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom
    2 Topics
  15. 8.4 Properties of the Nucleus
    2 Topics
  16. 8.5 Deep Inside the Atom
    4 Topics

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HSC Physics 8.5 Deep Inside the Atom Particle Accelerators
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Lesson 16, Topic 3
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Particle Accelerators

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Particle accelerators launch elementary particles, such as electrons and protons, to high velocities and energies by means of electric or electromagnetic fields.

  • Linear accelerators: Straight-line path of travel.
  • Circular accelerators: Circular path of travel.

Discovery of the Electron, Proton and Neutron

  1. The electron was discovered by Thomson using cathode ray tubes, which are essentially electron accelerators.
  2. Radioisotopes emitting alpha particles are natural accelerators which helped to discover the proton and neutron.
    1. Rutherford discovered the nucleus (thus proton) by firing alpha particles at gold atoms.
    2. Chadwick discovered the neutron by firing alpha particles at beryllium atoms.

Verification of the Standard Model of Matter

  1. Particles accelerated to near light-speed.
  2. The high-energy particles are made to collide.
  3. Kinetic energy momentarily converted to matter (mass), creating new particles which may be studied:
    1. Directly
    2. And indirectly, from decay products

Types of Modern Particle Accelerators

Operation of Particle Accelerators

  1. Electric fields accelerate particles
  2. Magnetic fields steer particles

There are some important things to note about this.

  • Linear accelerators don’t need magnetic fields – only straight-line motion
  • Cyclotrons use constant magnetic fields to deflect particles in a spiral (circular path of increasing radius)
  • Synchrotrons, like the LHC, require increasing magnetic fields to deflect particles in a circular path of constant radius