Editing Cyclotron (section)

=== Basic research ===

For several decades, cyclotrons were the best source of high-energy beams for [[nuclear physics]] experiments.  With the advent of strong focusing synchrotrons, cyclotrons were supplanted as the accelerators capable of producing the highest energies.<ref name="wilson" />{{r|Bryant}} However, due to their compactness, and therefore lower expense compared to high energy synchrotrons, cyclotrons are still used to create beams for research where the primary consideration is not achieving the maximum possible energy.{{r|austin}} Cyclotron based nuclear physics experiments are used to measure basic properties of isotopes (particularly short lived radioactive isotopes) including half life, mass, interaction cross sections, and decay schemes.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Rare-Isotope Research {{!}} TRIUMF : Canada's particle accelerator centre |url=https://www.triumf.ca/research-program/research-topics/rare-isotope-beam-science/rare-isotope#nuc |website=www.triumf.ca |access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>