A device for the production of high energy particles including neutrons or x-rays, the device having:
- an inner electrode having an initiator end and a plasma focus end, said inner electrode disposed about an axis, said inner electrode having, in sequence, said initiator end, a cylindrical region having a substantially constant first radius through a first acceleration extent, and a tapered final region having a final acceleration extent, said inner electrode radius monotonically decreasing from said first radius through said final region and terminating in said plasma focus end;
- an outer electrode having, in sequence along said axis:
- a conductor connection region, an acceleration region, and a final region over said final acceleration extent, said outer electrode formed from an annular conductor electrically connected to a plurality of individual conductors in said conductor connection region, each said individual conductor spaced a uniform distance from said inner electrode and each said individual conductor oriented substantially coaxially to and also parallel to said inner electrode axis in said acceleration region, said individual conductors leading to said final region along said final acceleration extent and said individual conductors thereafter arranged helically about said inner electrode axis over said final region and terminating in said plasma focus end, each said individual conductor electrically continuous from said accelerator region through said final region;
- said outer cylindrical electrode enclosing a gas for the generation of said neutrons or x-rays, said gas including a low atomic number gas such as Deuterium (D) or Tritium (T) or a high atomic number gas such as Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), or Krypton (Kr);
- an insulator disposed adjacent to said conductor connection region and said central electrode;
- where for any given point on said axis of said inner electrode, the radial distance measured from a point on said axis to a point on each said conductor perpendicular to said axis is substantially equal, said radial distance monotonically reducing from a first value substantially equal to said outer electrode cylindrical radius to a second value greater than zero and less than said first value over said final region extent;
- where a plasma forming in said initiator end has a velocity substantially parallel to said inner electrode axis and said plasma generates a magnetic field which is azimuthal to said inner electrode axis over said acceleration region, said plasma forming a plasma front which accelerates without generating a substantial axial magnetic field through said connection region or said acceleration region, the magnetic field generated by currents returning through said individual helical conductors of said final region generating an axial magnetic field component which stabilizes said plasma front in said final region such that said plasma has a velocity that is substantially perpendicular to said inner electrode axis in a dense plasma region where said plasma generates and is surrounded by a magnetic field that is substantially parallel to said inner electrode axis, said plasma having sufficient density in said dense plasma region to generate neutrons or x-rays.