Particle accelerator, what would happen...?

Question

what would happen if a person stood in a particle accelerator and a particle was fired into them? these particles are smaller then atoms.

Answer 1

Where I work we do that every day - well similar. We use linear accelerators to boost electrons to nearly the speed of light and point them at cancer cells - electron radio-therapy. Alternative is to smash the electrons into a target and generate high energy x-rays (photon therapy).
The electrons are scattered into a cone shaped beam otherwise they would 'drill' a small hole right through the patient as their energy is absorbed by smashing into atoms in their path. Where they strike atoms the resulting release of energy destroys the cell - if we have done our job right this is mainly cancer cells. Although electrons are much smaller than the nucleus of an atom - along any given path it will eventually strike an atom and its energy will be transferred, damaging molecular bonds or ionising the target. In a patient all electrons will be absorbed within a few centimetres of the skin surface, unlike photons which will travel deeply into tissues and a significant amount will exit from the opposite side.
ps you cannot stand IN a particle accelerator, it needs to be a very hard vacuum, and the human body is not good at maintaining integrity in a vacuum. However the particles can be directed through a ceramic window to atmosphere.

Answer 2

A high velocity particle may cross your body with a small probability of crashing with one of your atoms, but in any case, assuming the particle has electric charge, the particle will produce ionization along its path, which is what can have the adverse effects of any radiation. In the human body, this includes nausea, dizziness, blindness, origin of cancer, or even death, depending on the energy of the radiation.
As someone metioned already, the energetic particles coming out of a particle accelerator are not different from the cosmic rays outside the Earth's atmosphere, so this issue is of great concern when planning manned space missions.

Answer 3

The particle would travel through you, on the rare occasion it would collide with particles in your body there could be a very minor nervous reaction depending on the body part the particle was accelerated into.

Answer 4

It depends on the energy of the particles when they hit you. If, for example, you were to open up the beamline at the Tevatron in Fermilab and put your hand in, for certain you would punch a hole in your hand. Others with lower energy might just give you serious burns.

Some cancer treatments use particles from accelerators, which are focussed on cancerous cells to kill them off. If focussed on normal cells, they'll kill those. Others use synchrotron radiation from the accelerators, to much the same effect.

Answer 5

Right now, through you, me, and the entire planet, there are cosmic radiation particles zipping right thru us every second. Those particles are a lot more energized and numerous than anything an accelerator can get going.

Answer 6

Do you meant, get shot by a particle in a particle accelerator?

It would kick one electron/atom or two of her/his body. But whether she/he is still alive, that depends on which part was kicked and whether this part had a important function of the body or not.

Answer 7

If high energy particle - then it would go straight through you without causing any noticable damage. This happens to us all day...every day.

It is the lower energy ones that cause problems, then it may cause some molecular damage (free radicals) as it collides with protein molecules (DNA) altering their structure. ie. possibility of mutated genetics / cancer.

Think X-rays - the ones that pass through you cause no harm...it's the ones that collide with your cells that can do the damage!!

Answer 8

it depends on the particle in order to identify the nature of radiation. in general nothing i suppose. imagine that you are "bombarded" every day from an unimaginable number of particles in the form of cosmic rays etc. their velocity is huge and their penetration ability great.
it depends though on the nature of the particles.

Answer 9

Momentum = Mass x Velocity
So...if the velocity is HUGE I expect no matter how small the particle is that hits them it will do some SERIOUS damage.

Answer 10

Nothing. You'd need to be hit by radiation of huge energy and number for radiation sickness. A cyclotron ain't that dangerous!