Microwave X-ray source and methods of use

An X-ray source comprising:

• a non-vacuumated microwave resonant cavity;
• a sealed chamber within the cavity containing a low pressure gas comprised of a dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber;
• a microwave source which produces microwave energy;
• a microwave coupler for supplying microwave energy from the microwave source to said cavity, and
• means for applying a magnetic field to said sealed chamber to produce an electron cyclotron resonance plasma within said chamber said plasma being disposed to interact with the dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber to thereby produce X-rays.

Apparatus for providing X-ray emissions comprising:

• a source of microwave energy;
• a plurality of X-ray sources, each X-ray source comprising:
• a microwave resonant cavity;
• a sealed vacuumated chamber having an inside surface, the chamber filled with a heavy atomic weight gas or gas mixture located inside the cavity said gas or gas mixture comprising a dense layer of atoms of the gas or gas mixture lining the inside surface of the chamber;
• and means for applying a magnetic field to the sealed chamber for producing an electron cyclotron resonance plasma adjacent the inside surface of the chamber, so that said plasma interacts with the dense layer of atoms of the gas or gas mixture to produce thereby X-rays;
• and a waveguide network for feeding microwaves from the source to the microwave resonant cavity of each X-ray source.

Apparatus for irradiating a material with X-ray radiation comprising:

• a plurality of X-ray sources, each X-ray source comprising:
• a microwave resonant cavity;
• a sealed vacuumated chamber having an inside surface, the chamber filled with a heavy atomic weight gas or gas mixture located inside the cavity said gas or gas mixture comprising a dense layer of atoms of the gas or gas mixture lining the inside surface of the chamber;
• and
• means for applying a magnetic field to the sealed chamber for producing an electron cyclotron resonance plasma adjacent the inside surface of the chamber, so that said plasma interacts with the dense layer of atoms of the gas or gas mixture to produce thereby X-rays;
• and means for advancing the material to be exposed to X-rays emitted by one or more of the plurality of X-ray sources.

A method for producing X-rays comprising:

• (a) providing a vacuumated sealed chamber containing a gas at low pressure said gas comprising a dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber;
• (b) applying microwaves and a static magnetic field to the chamber;
• and
• (c) producing an electron cyclotron resonance plasma from said gas having hot electrons within said chamber, said hot electrons bombarding the dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber to produce X-rays.

A method for irradiating a material with X-ray radiation comprising:

• providing a source of microwave energy;
• providing a plurality of X-ray sources, each X-ray source having a non-vacuumated microwave resonant cavity and a sealed vacuumated chamber having an inside surface and filled with a heavy atomic weight gas or gas mixture, said gas or gas mixture comprising a dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber, the chamber being located inside the cavity;
• applying a magnetic field to the sealed chamber for producing an electron cyclotron resonance plasma within the chamber adjacent the inside surface of the chamber so that the plasma interacts with said dense layer of gas atoms lining the inside surface of the chamber to produce X-rays;
• feedings microwaves from the microwave source to the resonant cavity of each of the X-ray sources to be used;
• and
• advancing the material along a path to be exposed to X-rays emitted by one or more of the plurality of X-ray sources.