Question

5. Some cyclotrons used to produce radionuclides in nuclear medicine for cancer treatment are
adjusted to accelerate deuterons. One example uses a dee radius of 0.5 m with an oscillator
frequency of 11 MHz. (a) What magnetic field is required? (b) What is the final energy of the
deuterons? (c) Assuming an acceleration potential between the dees of 100 kV, estimate the
path length traveled by a deuteron during the acceleration process.

At times one would like to use the cyclotron to instead accelerate protons to produce other
radionuclides such a technetium-99m. (d) What energy protons could be produced using the
same oscillator frequency as used for deuterons? (e) What magnetic field would be required? (f)
What energy protons could be produced if the magnetic field was left at the value used for
deuterons? (g) What oscillator frequency would then be required?

Answer 1