cyclotron radiation


cyclotron radiation

(sÿ -klŏ-tron) Electromagnetic radiation emitted by non-relativistic charged particles moving in a magnetic field. In a constant of B tesla, particles of mass m and charge q will perform helical motions around the field lines with a frequency qB /(2πm ), emitting cyclotron radiation at the same frequency. This type radiation is circularly polarized, and can be detected from the Sun, some planets and some X-ray pulsars including Hercules X-1. At speeds approaching that of light the process is more complicated, and the particles emit synchrotron radiation over a range of frequencies.

Cyclotron Radiation

 

(also magnetobraking radiation), electromagnetic radiation from a charged particle that is moving in a circular or spiral trajectory in a magnetic field. The term “cyclotron radiation” is usually applied to the magnetobraking radiation of nonrelativistic particles, which occurs at the fundamental gyromagnetic frequency ω = eH/mc and its first harmonics; here, e is the charge of the particle, m is the particle mass, c is the speed of light, and H is the magnetic field strength.

cyclotron radiation

[′sī·klə‚trän ‚rād·ē′ā·shən] (electromagnetism) The electromagnetic radiation emitted by charged particles as they orbit in a magnetic field, at a speed which is not close to the speed of light. Also known as cyclotron emission.