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alternating-gradient focusing

Also known as: strong focusing

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Alternating-gradient focusing, also known as strong focusing, is a technique used in particle accelerators to keep particle beams narrow and intense. This method was demonstrated in 1952 and significantly reduced the size of the magnets needed for synchrotrons, making them more cost-effective. Instead of using magnets with a single focusing effect, alternating-gradient focusing employs pairs of magnets with opposing effects to achieve proper focusing. This principle is now utilized in all recently constructed synchrotrons.12

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