Patent ID: 8000447
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: G21K,H05G

Abstract:
1. A gamma ray generator comprising: a first chamber maintained at a first pressure, the first chamber including a concentric wall to form an outer surface of the first chamber; an ion source in the first chamber to form an ionized gas from a continuous inflow of a neutral gas; at least one flow limiting plasma aperture in the concentric wall to provide for a restricted passage of ions and gas from the first chamber; a second chamber maintained at a second pressure in a concentric ring around the first chamber, the second chamber receiving through the at least one flow limiting plasma aperture the restricted passage of ions and gas from the first chamber; a first vacuum pump coupled to the second chamber, the second chamber coupled to the first chamber via the at least one flow limiting plasma aperture, to maintain the first pressure and the second pressure; a third chamber maintained at a third pressure, the third chamber configured co-axially to surround the second chamber; a puller electrode arranged concentrically between the second chamber and the third chamber, wherein the puller electrode has an applied voltage to electrostatically draw ions from the ionized gas in the second chamber that have passed from the first chamber through the at least one flow limiting plasma aperture; at least one flow restricting aperture in the puller electrode located radially in correspondence to the at least one flow limiting plasma aperture to provide for a restricted passage of ions electrostatically drawn from the second chamber to the third chamber; a second vacuum pump coupled to the third chamber to maintain the third pressure lower than the second and the first pressure in the second and the first chamber respectively; a plurality of accelerator electrodes in the third chamber placed as concentric rings co-axially surrounding the puller electrode and the second chamber, the accelerator electrodes having at least one radial channel aperture located in radial correspondence to the at least one flow restricting aperture in the puller electrode and one flow limiting plasma aperture to provide for the passage of a beam of ions from the plasma generator through the puller electrode and the plurality of accelerator electrodes, and wherein the accelerator electrodes increase a value of the energy of the ions to a selected energy in successive stages in passing between successive pairs of the accelerator electrodes by application of an accelerating voltage to each of the successive pairs of accelerator electrodes; and a target material disposed co-axially around the plurality of accelerator electrodes to receive the at least one beam of ions of the selected energy to provide gamma ray emission by a nuclear reaction between the target material and the ions.