Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for the acceleration of ions in the virtual cathode of an intense relativistic electron beam

US4070595A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
4References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 8, 1976
Grant dateJan 24, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 8, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J27/02
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The acceleration of large numbers of ions to high energies uses an intense relativistic electron beam produced by a vacuum diode. An electron beam radial profile is maintained by a strong longitudinal magnetic field. A virtual cathode, characterized by an electrostatic potential depression whose depth corresponds to the injected electron beam kinetic energy will form. The virtual cathode is caused to move backwards toward the vacuum diode by utilizing the time history of the injected electron beam voltage and current, and by appropriately flaring the drift tube. Ions trapped in the potential well associated with the virtual cathode move with the virtual cathode and are synchronously accelerated.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.