Spherical inertial electrostatic confinement device as a tunable x-ray source

A device for generating wave-length tunable x-rays comprising:

• cathode means comprising a spherical vacuum vessel;
• anode means comprising a highly transparent spherical grid defining a central spherical volume, said anode means being centrally disposed within said cathode means;
• electron means comprising a plurality of electron emitter/extractor assemblies placed symmetrically near an internal surface of said cathode means for emitting electrons into said vessel;
• means for creating a negative atmospheric pressure in said spherical vacuum vessel;
• means for circulating electrons emitted by said electron emitter assemblies a plurality of times through a central region formed at the center of said spherical vacuum vessel;
• means for focusing and converging high energy electrons in said central region;
• means for applying an electric potential to said anode means whereby the potential between the anode and cathode means causes the electrons to accelerate towards the anode means, the increased energy electrons interacting with idle electrons in said central region thereby producing x-rays, whereby electrons at different energy levels produce x-rays at correspondingly different wave-lengths.