Tuesday, September 18, 2007

'Current' - Word of the Week

The term "current" in particle physics relates to the number of charged particles within an accelerator's beam and is expressed in "amperes." SLAC's SPEAR synchrotron at SSRL presently operates at a current of 100 milliamperes (one-tenth of an ampere), and the current must be topped off several times a day as the beam gradually loses electrons.
-Brad Plummer

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