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Reliable vacuum solutions to help you achieve cyclotron system performance and operational efficiency

Cyclotrons use electromagnetic fields to accelerate charged particles in an outward spiral path, and are used in a variety of applications, including medicine, research, and others in the industry. Like a linear accelerator, a cyclotron accelerates particles to create isotopes, with the advantage of being able to achieve maximum proton current.

As the primary force behind particle acceleration for such applications, the cyclotron is subject to the design constraints of cost, space, and efficient operation, as well as the need for continuous operation over long periods. Unlike other types of accelerators, a cyclotron must fit inside a room. Typically, the electrodes and magnets that energize particles, as well as the spiral path on which the particles travel, are contained within a cylindrical volume that is evacuated and maintained at ultrahigh vacuum for extended periods. Oil-free, efficient pump technologies which produce rough, high, and ultrahigh vacuum are critical for the efficient operation of the cyclotron.

Agilent provides the full range of dry vacuum pumping solutions, from rough to ultrahigh, enabling cyclotron designers to achieve the system performance and operational efficiency they seek. Agilent also provides vacuum gauges for each stage of the evacuation process to ensure the effective transition to (and maintenance of) very low pressures.

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Vacuum in cyclotrons

A cyclotron accelerates charged particles outward from the center of a flat cylindrical vacuum chamber, along a spiral path. It can accelerate light ions and protons (or heavier ions, if more stringent vacuum requirements are met). Vacuum in the range below 1x10-6 mbar is required to the prevent loss of charged particles due to molecular collisions with residual gases. As the vacuum system is one of the main subsystems of the cyclotron, it must guarantee that the particle mean free path is longer than the distance of particle travel.
 


Vacuum requirements in cyclotrons for proton

One of the most relevant uses of cyclotrons is in proton therapy cancer treatment. The protons generated in a cyclotron are transported through beamlines to rooms where patients are treated. The vacuum system is extremely important for proton therapy equipment and is generally pumped by midsize turbomolecular or ion pumps exposed to magnetic fields and radiation. Beamlines require a small turbomolecular pump every few meters to keep the pressure in the range between 10-7 and 10-9 mbar.
 



Vacuum solutions

Vacuum for cyclotrons must be able to withstand radiation and magnetic fields, while guaranteeing high vacuum below 1x10-9 mbar. Continuous operation, robustness, and long service intervals in challenging operative situations must also be guaranteed.

Agilent provides robust, industry-leading turbomolecular vacuum pumps and controllers that deliver complete confidence across a broad range of applications in academia, research, nanotechnologies, analytical instrumentation, and industry.
 

Agilent turbo pumps range from 70 to 2,300 L/s and feature innovative designs backed by exhaustive testing and trusted after-sales support.
 

Agilent VHS and HS diffusion pumps have pumping speeds from 65 L/s to 28,000 L/s in an operating range of 1 x 10-3 to 5 x 10-9 Torr. Our patented bulge body diffusion pump design maximizes pump throughput while delivering pressure stability and reducing backstreaming to a minimum, which is ideal for critical applications such as vacuum coating, metallizing, brazing, and heat treatment.
 

In vacuum systems, a rough vacuum is used as a preliminary stage before achieving ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The process typically involves a roughing pump, which operates at pressures above 1x10-3 Torr, to evacuate the system of most air molecules. This stage is crucial because pumps designed for UHV cannot operate at atmospheric pressures. Once the rough vacuum is established, UHV pumps take over to further reduce the pressure. The selection of the appropriate roughing pump, whether oil-sealed or dry, depends on factors like the requirements for clean vacuum, and maintenance.
 


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