
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
Name: Brian
Status: student
Age: 15
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999 

How do the "drift tubes" in linear particle accelerators shield the charged particles from the electric charges that would otherwise slow them down? Also, how is alternating current used to generate these electrical fields?

Stray electric fields are kept out of the drift region by completely surrounding it with a conducting material. Alternating current is rectified and filtered to make a D.C. voltage (just like any other D.C. power supply) that is used to put the desired electric field in the drift region.

Tim Mooney

Click here to return to the Physics Archives



Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory