Linear Collider or Circular Accelerator?

[Aki]

Is is easier (ie less energy) to accelerate a particle in a linear collider or in a cyclotron?

[maddog]

Is is easier (ie less energy) to accelerate a particle in a linear collider or in a cyclotron?

 

Depends. It turns out leptons are easier in a linear accelerator. For more massive

particles, like protons/neutrons and atom nuclei it is better in a storage ring (a circular

accelerator).

 

An example of linear version is SLAC at Stanford. I got to visit this in 2003 as part of a

physics class I took at UCI.

 

An example of a circular version is either Fermilab at Batavia, IL (I got to visit this in

1979 as part of a physics class at Purdue) or CERN in Switzerland. ;)

 

Maddog