Radiant energy – Means to align or position an object relative to a source or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-18
2003-11-25
Lee, John R. (Department: 2881)
Radiant energy
Means to align or position an object relative to a source or...
C250S3960ML, C250S3960ML, C250S397000, C315S005410, C315S013110, C315S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06653640
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention belongs to the acceleration engineering, especially to the linear induction accelerators of charged particles and might be used as a commercial-type compact accelerator for the formation of singular and multiple parallel relativistic beams, including beams of different energy and charge signs.
There is known a devise (electrostatic accelerator-EA), which is able to work as an accelerator of charged particles (Cockcroft J. D., Walter E. T. C. “Experiments with high velocity ions. Further developments in the method of obtaining high velocity positive ions.” Proc. Roy. Soc. A, vol. 136, p 619, 1932.) The devise is composed of an injector block, acceleration block, drive source, and output devise. The basic shortcomings of EA are excessive dimensions, high cost, high operational danger and low beam (or beams) current of accelerated charged particles. All the mentioned shortcomings are caused by the structural peculiarity of drive source, having components under hundreds of thousands to million (and in many cases higher than that) volts. High-pressure (from 5 to 30 atmosphere) gases and special electro-technical oils are used for securing the isolation of these components. This makes the operation of such accelerators dangerous and makes impossible to fabricate small-dimension and simultaneously powerful accelerating systems. The mentioned above shortcomings are the basic hindrance for the formation of the compact, inexpensive, and safe in operation commercial-type devises (accelerators) for generation of the singular and multiple parallel beams of charged particles, including such that have beams of different energy and of different charge sign. These shortcomings become especially substantial at work with >1 MeV electron beams.
A linear induction accelerator, which can work as a compact devise for formation of singular relativistic beams of charged particles is also known (Redinato L. “the advanced test accelerator (ATA), a 50 MeV, 10 kA Inductional Linac”,
IEEE Trans
., NS-30, No.4 pp. 2970-2973, 1983). This devise is known also as single-channel linear induction accelerator (SLIA). Like the EA accelerator, SLIA contains injector block, accelerator block, drive source and output device. Its peculiarity is in that the accelerating block has the form of an inductor with one working channel for acceleration of charged particles. The acceleration of charged particles in SLIA is achieved by the effect of the longitudinal vortex electric field, having relatively low frequency (tens MHz), which is generated in the working channel of the inductor by special windings, having changing in time current. The inductor contains cores, made of high-frequencies magnetic materials with an elevated electric strength, made of ferrites, amorphous magnetic materials, etc. Because of this, SLIA does not have the shortcoming of the EA, which requires super-high potential difference in construction of elements of the working (accelerating) channel. This makes SLIA more operation safe. In contrast to EA, much more strong (including many amper and also kiloamper) beams of charged particles can be accelerated in SLIA.
The basic shortcoming of SLIA is, that during its performance, a strong external vortex electric field can be generated in its surrounding. (In contrast to the external, a vortex electric field in the acceleration (working channel is classified as the internal field; in contemporary SLIA, the potential of the internal field might reach tens MV/m). In uncommon situations, or in a case of improper operation, the external vortex electric field may be dangerous for the operating personnel as well as for the surrounding apparatuses when they are not properly screened. In other words, SLIA has a low level of electromagnetic compatibility. The other side of the problem of the electromagnetic compatibility consists of that the presence of the presence of a strong external field leads to the formation of a peculiar “dead zone”, work in which demands special means of protection. This limits the possibility of using the space directly surrounding the accelerating block of SLIA. The latter can be considered that the real dimensions, e.g. transversal dimensions, of SLIA might be significantly larger than the transversal dimensions of the accelerating block. The dimensions of the space surrounding SLIA beyond which the intensity of the external vortex electric field decreases to some accepted value is called the working dimension of SLIA. It is clear; the higher is the intensity of the internal electric field in the accelerating channel the larger is the working dimension of the system. Consequently, a principal contradiction exists in the structural concept of SLIA between the effort to increase the tempo of the acceleration by the way of an increase of the internal vortex electric field and the simultaneous increase of the working dimension of the system.
The use of especial metallic screens is the basic technologic solution, which secures a decrease of the external electric field in SLIA. The weakening of the external field is achieved by the organization of the additional field-energy losses in the volume of the screen.
A radical decrease of the strength of the external electric field by this method was practically not achieved. In some structures the metallic screens serve also as the elements of the conducting circuit, used to form a difference in voltage in the acceleration space (Pasour J. A., Lucey R. F., Robertson C. W. Long pulse free electron laser driven by a linear induction accelerator,
Proc. SPIE
, v. 453, pp. 328-331, 1984).
In addition to the above, the energy, which is used for generating the external electric field in SLIA, is comparable to the energy used for the generation of the internal field in the working channel. It means, that the efficiency coefficient of SLIA cannot be high. This is also one of the basic shortcomings of this class of structures.
The large real (working) dimensions and the necessity to apply safety measures result in high price of fabrication and of operation of SLIA. This leads to the conclusion that use of SLIA, as the key construction element, for various type commercial application devises is unsuitable. Besides this, the above-described characteristics of SLIA are incompatible with the traditional technologic culture, which is typical in civil (common) industry, e.g. light, food, pharmaceutical industry, inc.
Consequently, the presence of a strong external vortex electric field (and related with it the low electromagnetic compatibility and large energy losses) is the basic factor causing the basic shortcomings of SLIA. It causes an elevated danger in operation, large working dimensions, and complexity of construction, low efficiency coefficient, expensive manufacturing and technologic incompatibility with the typical conditions present in civil industry.
The functional limitation is the other essential shortcoming of SLIA. Each separately taken SLIA cannot be used for an independent simultaneous acceleration of a few beams of charged particles, including such which differ in charge sign of particles.
The given devise is the most similar in technical essence and in the obtained results to the proposed invention and is considered as the prototype of the invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is to create a commercial-type linear induction accelerator, which has wider functional abilities (for instance, the ability to accelerate simultaneously a few beams of charged particles, including particles having different charge sign), realistic compatibility, high degree of electromagnetic compatibility and efficiency coefficient, operational safety, low manufacturing cost, simple structure, and high technology (it means, a technology which is adequate to the typical conditions in the civil industry). This is achieved by improving the structure of the inductor of the accelerator block this allows to decrease drastically the strength of the external electric field. The proposed invention is ca
Kulish Victor V.
Melnyk Alexandra C.
Lee John R.
Mueller and Smith LPA
Vanore David A.
LandOfFree
Multichannel linear induction accelerator of charged particles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multichannel linear induction accelerator of charged particles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multichannel linear induction accelerator of charged particles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3112972