The Cyclotron Facility was built in the 1950s to study effects of radiation on materials for nuclear aircraft engines. Medical researchers later used the cyclotron to study the effect of fast neutrons on cancerous tumors.
The Cyclotron Facility was built in the 1950s at what is today the NASA Glenn Research Center to study effects of radiation on materials for nuclear aircraft engines. The research expanded to general nuclear physics, the effect of solar radiation, and production of medical isotopes. In the 1970s and 1980s the Cleveland Clinic Foundation used the cyclotron to study the effect of fast neutrons on cancerous tumors. NASA demolished the cyclotron in 2018 and 2019.
History
Design and Construction
The NACA built the Cyclotron Facility in the late 1940s as part of the expansion of its materials research in support of the military’s nuclear aircraft program.
Space-Related Research
In its first 15 years, the Cyclotron Facility supported both space-related studies and general nuclear physics research.
69-Inch Diameter Cyclotron
In the late 1960s and early 1970s the cyclotron was reconfigured to expand its capabilities for new fields of study.
Neutron Therapy Program
In the mid-1970s, the Cleveland Clinic began using the Cyclotron Facility for an experimental neutron therapy cancer treatment program that lasted until 1990.
Final Years
In the early 1990s the center deactivated the Cyclotron and began taking steps to decontaminate and safeguard the Cyclotron Facility.
Facility
Facility Description
The Cyclotron Facility’s primary component was a large particle accelerator inside a shielded vault. The below-grade facility also contained control rooms, target or treatment areas, a Hot Storage Room, and equipment to support the operation.
Cyclotron Operation
Cyclotrons accelerate charged particles and shoot them through a beam at a target which results in secondary fission that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Research
Timeline
This timeline includes events and activities related to the Cyclotron Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center.
Historic Documents
Digital versions of various historical documents, technical, and reference material related to the Cyclotron Facility.
The NASA Glenn History Office documents the research, facilities, and people who have contributed to the center’s extensive history and manages the Glenn History Collection.
