Cyclotron Radiation

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Cyclotron Radiation

The electromagnetic radiation emitted by charged particles as they orbit in a magnetic field. The radiation arises from the centripetal acceleration of the particle as it moves in a circular orbit. See Larmor orbit.
When the velocity is small, the radiation is concentrated in a single spectral line, at the cyclotron frequency. The spectral line is spread into a band of frequencies, however, from the effects of Doppler, Stark, and collision broadening. In addition, as the speed of the particles approaches the velocity of light, higher harmonics of the cyclotron radiation occur at multiples of the cyclotron frequency.

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use