[sahy-kluh-tron, sik-luh-] 
| an accelerator in which particles are propelled in spiral paths by the use of a constant magnetic field. |
cy·clo·tron (sī'klə-trŏn')  (click for larger image in new window) n. A circular particle accelerator in which charged subatomic particles generated at a central source are accelerated spirally outward in a plane perpendicular to a fixed magnetic field by an alternating electric field. A cyclotron is capable of generating particle energies between a few million and several tens of millions of electron volts. |
The first kind of particle accelerator built.
Note: Cyclotrons are now used for special research projects.
kləˌtrɒn