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Title: Production of intense negative hydrogen beams with polarized nuclei by selective neutralization of negative ions

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6583855

A process is described for selective neutralization of H/sup -/ ions in a magnetic field to produce an intense negative hydrogen ion beam with spin polarized protons, comprising: providing a multi-ampere beam of H/sup -/ ions; providing a beam of laser light, any photon of which has sufficient energy to photodetach one electron from any one of the H/sup -/ ions; providing a uniform solenoidal magnetic field around a portion of the length of the beam of H/sup -/ ions to effectively spin polarize the H/sup -/ ions in the beam, thereby to produce a first group of ions with proton spin aligned with the magnetic field and to produce a second group of ions with proton spin opposed to the magnetic field; directing the beam of laser light through the spin polarized beam of H/sup -/ ions to selectively neutralize the majority of the ions in one of the groups, without neutralizing the ions in the other group; and separating the one group of ions from the other group of ions, and directing the other group of ions in an intense H/sup -/ ion beam toward a predetermined objective.

Assignee:
Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
Patent Number(s):
US 4654183
OSTI ID:
6583855
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 13 Feb 1984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English