X-ray generator

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:862565

Dawson, John M. ^[1]

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1. Los Angeles, CA

Apparatus and method for producing coherent secondary x-rays that are controlled as to direction by illuminating a mixture of high z and low z gases with an intense burst of primary x-rays. The primary x-rays are produced with a laser activated plasma, and these x-rays strip off the electrons of the high z atoms in the lasing medium, while the low z atoms retain their electrons. The neutral atoms transfer electrons to highly excited states of the highly striped high z ions giving an inverted population which produces the desired coherent x-rays. In one embodiment, a laser, light beam provides a laser spark that produces the intense burst of coherent x-rays that illuminates the mixture of high z and low z gases, whereby the high z atoms are stripped while the low z ones are not, giving the desired mixture of highly ionized and neutral atoms. To this end, the laser spark is produced by injecting a laser light beam, or a plurality of beams, into a first gas in a cylindrical container having an adjacent second gas layer co-axial therewith, the laser producing a plasma and the intense primary x-rays in the first gas, and the second gas containing the high and low atomic number elements for receiving the primary x-rays, whereupon the secondary x-rays are produced therein by stripping desired ions in a neutral gas and transfer of electrons to highly excited states of the stripped ions from the unionized atoms. Means for magnetically confining and stabilizing the plasma are disclosed for controlling the direction of the x-rays.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-3073
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy Research and Development Administration (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): 3,961,197
• Application Number: 05/499221
• OSTI ID: 862565
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 1974 Aug 21
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

x-ray
generator
apparatus
method
producing
coherent
secondary
x-rays
controlled
direction
illuminating
mixture
z
gases
intense
burst
primary
produced
laser
activated
plasma
strip
electrons
atoms
lasing
medium
retain
neutral
transfer
highly
excited
striped
giving
inverted
population
produces
desired
embodiment
light
beam
provides
spark
illuminates
whereby
stripped
ones
ionized
injecting
plurality
beams
gas
cylindrical
container
adjacent
layer
co-axial
therewith
containing
atomic
elements
receiving
whereupon
therein
stripping
unionized
means
magnetically
confining
stabilizing
disclosed
controlling
coherent x-rays
neutral gas
producing coherent
laser spark
primary x-rays
gas containing
light beam
laser light
lasing medium
secondary x-rays
generator apparatus
cylindrical container
neutral atom
laser activated
intense burst
highly ionized
/378/372/376/