Development of Cyclotrons and Their Applications

Abstract

A cyclotron has been evolving gradually since Ernest Lawrence arrived at an idea of a cyclotron in 1929 after coming across the paper on the first two-gap linac developed by Rolf Wideroe in 1928. Nowadays a variety of cyclotrons are widely utilized for not only academic research but also medical use and industry applications. During cyclotron evolution in past more than ninety years, various types of cyclotrons have been designed and developed to meet the academic and industrial needs. In this paper, the history of cyclotron evolution is traced from a technical point of view, while characteristics of cyclotrons are outlined. Prospects of cyclotron development are also mentioned briefly.