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US 4,045,677 AGranted
Intense ion beam generator
AssigneeCornell Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsStanley Humphries, Jr., Ravindra N. Sudan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for producing intense megavolt ion beams are disclosed. In one embodiment, a reflex triode-type pulsed ion accelerator is described which produces ion pulses of more than 5 kiloamperes current with a peak energy of 3 MeV. In other embodiments, the device is constructed so as to focus the beam of ions for high concentration and ease of extraction, and magnetic insulation is provided to increase the efficiency of operation.
Claims15
The method of generating intense ion fluxes comprising:
- providing an anode surface and a closely spaced cathode surface in a vacuum chamber, said anode surface being substantially transparent to electrons and including a material capable of forming a plasma;
- maintaining said cathode surface at a ground reference potential;
- applying a pulse voltage in the megavolt range to said anode to produce a plasma at the surface of said anode, said pulse having a duration approximately equal to or less than the time required for said plasma to form and to fill the gap between said cathode and said anode, said pulsed voltage producing an electric field which accelerates electrons from said cathode toward said anode and which accelerates ions formed in said plasma away from said anode;
- applying a magnetic field along the cathode-anode axis to confine emitted electrons to the area of the cathode to prevent current loss;
- and
- collecting the ions drawn out of said anode plasma, a voltage pulse of 130 nsec producing currents in excess of 5 kA.
3 more elements
The method of generating intense ion fluxes, comprising:
- providing an anode surface and a closely spaced cathode surface in a vacuum chamber, said anode surface including a material capable of forming a plasma in the presence of an intense electrical field;
- applying a high pulsed voltage to said anode, said voltage being of sufficient magnitude to produce a plasma at said anode surface, said pulse having a duration approximately equal to or less than the time required for said plasma to form and to fill the gap between said cathode and anode, said pulsed voltage producing an electric field which accelerates electrons from said cathode toward said anode, and which accelerates ions formed in said plasma away from said anode;
- applying an insulating magnetic field between said anode and cathode to produce magnetic field lines of sufficient force to deflect electrons being accelerated toward said anode but insufficient to deflect ions, whereby electrons are prevented from reaching said anode so that substantially all the current flow between the anode and cathode is due to ion flow;
- and
- collecting the ions drawn out of said anode plasma.
2 more elements
An intense ion flux generator, comprising:
- a vacuum housing;
- an anode surface located within said housing, said anode surface including a material capable of producing a plasma;
- a cathode surface closely spaced to said anode surface, and located within said housing;
- means applying a pulsed voltage in the megavolt range to said anode to produce an electric field of sufficient magnitude to produce a plasma at said anode surface;
- means for producing a magnetic field between said anode and cathode for constraining electrons emitted by said cathode;
- and
- means for collecting ions emitted by said plasma.
4 more elements
An intense ion flux generator, comprising:
- a vacuum housing;
- an anode surface mounted within said housing, said anode surface comprising a material for producing a plasma;
- a cathode surface mounted within said housing, said anode and cathode being concentric and closely spaced to form a gap therebetween;
- means for applying to said anode a high intensity voltage pulse said pulse being of sufficient magnitude to break down the material of said anode to produce a plasma;
- and
- means for producing an insulating magnetic field having lines of flux extending between said anode and said cathode, said magnetic field being of sufficient magnitude to prevent electrons emitted by said cathode in the presence of said high intensity voltage from reaching said anode, but being sufficiently small to permit ions emitted by said plasma to cross said gap.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.