betatron

[ bey-tuh-tron or, especially British, bee- ]

/ ˈbeɪ təˌtrɒn or, especially British, ˈbi- /

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noun Physics.

an accelerator in which electrons are accelerated to high energies by an electric field produced by a changing magnetic field.

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Origin of betatron

1940–45; beta (see beta particle) + -tron

Words nearby betatron

beta sheet, beta stock, beta structure, beta test, betatopic, betatron, beta version, betazole, betel, Betelgeuse, betel nut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for betatron

betatron

/ (ˈbiːtəˌtrɒn) /

noun

a type of particle accelerator for producing high-energy beams of electrons, having an alternating magnetic field to keep the electrons in a circular orbit of fixed radius and accelerate them by magnetic induction. It produces energies of up to about 300 MeV

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for betatron

betatron

[ bā′tə-trŏn′ ]

A type of particle accelerator that uses changing magnetic fields to accelerate electrons. Energies of several hundred million electron volts can be achieved in a betatron. See also particle accelerator.