Particle Acceleators and Different State of Matter

A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well- defined beams.There are two basic classes of accelerators, known as electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators. Electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators. Electrostatic accelerators use static electric field to accelerate particles. A small - scale examples of this class is the cathode ray tube in an ordinary old television set. Other examples are the cockcrift- Walton generator and the van de graaff generator. The achievable kinetic energy for paricles in these devices is limited by electrical breakdown. Oscillating field and accelerators, on the other hand, use radio frequency electromagnetic fields and ciecumvent the breakdown problem. This class, which was first developed in the 1920‟s, is the basis for all modern accelerator concepts and large scale facilities. Rolf-Wideroe, Gustav Ising, leo Szilard, Donald kerst, and Ernest Lawrence are considered as pioneers of this field, conceiving and building the first operational linear particle accelerators, the betatorn, and the cyclotron.