The Lawrence 37-inch Cyclotron
This is the electromagnet for the world's first
major cyclotron. With it, professor Ernest O. Lawrence
and others perfected the difficult cyclotron
technology. Originally a 27-inch cyclotron, it was
converted to a 37-inch instrument in 1937. Weighing
85 tons, this cyclotron was a leviathan of science
in its time. It lead the world in atomic particle
energies from 1932 until 1939, opening new frontiers
in nuclear research.
Discoveries with this cyclotron were numerous,
including radioisotopes, such as iodine 131,
as well as the first man-made element, technetium.
modified, the magnet first showed in 1941-42 that
uranium-235 could be separated magnetically on a
large scale.
In 1945, it became the pioneer synchrocyclotron,
confirming for the first time the theory of phase
stability: the principle governing the operation
of the great accelerators built since. This
cyclotron stands as a major stepping-stone in
the history of science.
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