Plasma focus light source with improved pulse power system
US6566667B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 16, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 20, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05H1/06
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A high energy photon source. A pair of plasma pinch electrodes are located in a vacuum chamber. The chamber contains a working gas which includes a noble buffer gas and an active gas chosen to provide a desired spectral line. A pulse power source provides electrical pulses at voltages high enough to create electrical discharges between the electrodes to produce very high temperature, high density plasma pinches in the working gas providing radiation at the spectral line of the source or active gas. Preferably the electrodes are configured co-axially with the anode on the axis. The anode is preferably hollow and the active gas is introduced through the anode. This permits an optimization of the spectral line source and a separate optimization of the buffer gas. Preferred embodiments present optimization of capacitance values, anode length and shape and preferred active gas delivery systems are disclosed. Preferred embodiments also include a pulse power system comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer. A heat pipe cooling system is described for cooling the central anode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.