Electrostatic accelerated-recirculating-ion fusion neutron/proton source

An electrostatic accelerated-recirculating-ion fusion neutron/proton source, comprising:

• an axially elongated cylindrical vacuum chamber having an inner and outer wall;
• first and second concave reflecting dishes, said first and second reflecting dishes disposed at and adjacent to opposite ends of said axially elongated vacuum chamber so that their concave surfaces face the center of said vacuum chamber and their centers lie on the axis of said vacuum chamber;
• a cylindrical, solid, hollow cathode disposed within said vacuum chamber between said first and second reflecting dishes, wherein said cathode is 100% transparent to oscillating ions and electrons, defines a central volume and has the same axis as said vacuum chamber;
• first and second cylindrical, hollow anodes that are 100% transparent to oscillating ions and electrons, wherein said first anode is disposed within said vacuum chamber between said first reflecting dish and said cathode, said second anode is disposed within said vacuum chamber between said second reflecting dish and said cathode, and said first and second anodes have axes coincident with the axis of said vacuum chamber;
• a nuclear fusible gas in said vacuum chamber wherein fusion reactions caused by collisions between ions produce energetic fusion reaction products including neutrons and/or protons;
• and
• means for applying an electric potential between said first and second anodes, said cathode and said first and second reflecting dishes to produce ions and electrons from the nuclear fusible gas within said central volume and to electrostatically focus said ions and electrons in regions along the axes of the cathode and anodes, respectively, said regions defined by the length-to-diameter ratios for the cathode and anodes and the spacing between the between the cathode and anodes,
• wherein said ions and electrons oscillate back and forth along the axial direction of said vacuum chamber within the volume defined by the inside diameter of the central cathode and bounded on the ends by said first and second reflectors, said reflectors electrostatically reflecting and refocusing electrons in a volume along the axis inside said anodes, and further wherein said oscillating ions and electrons aggregate into preferred paths in the background gas thereby reducing losses of ions and electrons due to transverse diversion of ions and electrons to the electrodes.

An electrostatic accelerated-recirculating-ion fusion neutron/proton source, comprising:

• an axially elongated cylindrical, non-electrically conductive vacuum chamber;
• [first and second concave reflecting dishes, said first and second reflecting dishes disposed at and adjacent to opposite ends of said vacuum chamber so that their concave surfaces face the center of said vacuum chamber and their centers lie on the axis of said vacuum chamber;]
• a cylindrical, solid, hollow cathode disposed within said vacuum chamber between said first and second reflecting dishes, wherein said cathode is 100% transparent to oscillating ions and electrons, defines a central volume and has the same axis as said vacuum chamber;
• first and second cylindrical, hollow anodes that are 100% transparent to oscillating ions and electrons, wherein said first anode is disposed within said vacuum chamber between said first reflecting dish and said cathode, said second anode is disposed within said vacuum chamber between said second reflecting dish and said cathode, and said first and second anodes have axes coincident with the axis of said vacuum chamber;
• first and second concave reflecting dishes for electrostatically reflecting and refocusing electrons in a volume along the axis inside said anodes, said first and second reflecting dishes disposed at and adjacent to opposite ends of said vacuum chamber so that their concave surfaces face the center of said vacuum chamber and their centers lie on the axis of said vacuum chamber;
• a nuclear fusible gas in said vacuum chamber wherein fusion reactions caused by collisions of ions produce neutrons and/or protons;
• a turbo vacuum pump removably connected to the vacuum chamber;
• a positively-biased, high voltage power supply;
• feedthroughs attaching said anodes to said positively-biased, high-voltage power supply;
• and
• wherein said cathode and anodes electrostatically focus said ions and electrons in regions along the axes of the cathode and anodes, respectively, wherein said ions and electrons oscillate back and forth along the axial direction of said vacuum chamber within the volume defined by the inside diameter of the central cathode and bounded on the ends by said first and second reflectors and further wherein said oscillating ions and electrons aggregate into preferred paths in the background gas thereby reducing losses of ions and electrons due to transverse diversion of ions and electrons to the electrodes.