Where do the particles in an accelerator come from?

Question

Okay, I have a real basic understanding of how particle accelerators ( "atom smashers" for us older folks ) work. I know you shoot two beams of protons into a big racetrack ( basicallly ) in oppsosition to one another, use big ol' magnets to make them go really really fast, then when they hit they pop apart and make all kinds of cooky sub particles, perfect liquids, nuons, and other scientific ...er.... small stuff.

Ok, anyway, I have always wondered where the proton that these guys shoot around the racetrack come from? Do they have a buckets of protons lying around? Do they make tweezers that small?

I just cant figure how how the process starts. How do the particles get into the accelerator to start the experiment?

Answer 1

Protons are just hydrogen with the electron removed. Hydrogen comes in bottles of compressed gas. It's extracted at the factory from coal or water. If you make an electrical discharge in hydrogen by exposing it to high voltage (like in a florescent tube), viola! the electron comes off. Since the proton is charged, the electric field can then be used to accelerate the proton.

Answer 2

Sir,

I am addressing you thus since you seem to be elder to me (I am nearly 60). The protons are obtained by ionisation of hydrogen atoms and that is achieved by an electron gun. Once you get a sufficiently intense beam, you can do beam steering and inject the proton beam into the accelerator itself.

In fact, I have not been anywhere near such accelerator though I visited a Cyclotron and a Synchrotron. But I feel that is the way that is done. Getting a proton beam shouldn't be difficult considering that hydrogen is easily available.

Answer 3

Protons are just hydrogen atoms with the outer electron removed. This can be done in two ways, either chemically or electrically. If enough energy is given to the atom the electron can be removed. This ionizes the atom giving it a charge. This charge is important because it means that the ion can be accelerated by a voltage due to the attraction/repulsion of charges. Since hydrogen is so abundant in the world it is easy to find and use for experimental purposes

Answer 4

Here's a site for Fermilab which explains how they produce their protons for their accelerators.

http://www.fnal.gov/pub/inquiring/physics/accelerators/chainaccel.html