Use of predissociation to enhance the atomic hydrogen ion fraction in ion sources

Patent · 31 December 1978

OSTI ID:863263

Kim, Jinchoon ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge, TN

A duopigatron ion source is modified by replacing the normal oxide-coated wire filament cathode of the ion source with a hot tungsten oven through which hydrogen gas is fed into the arc chamber. The hydrogen gas is predissociated in the hot oven prior to the arc discharge, and the recombination rate is minimized by hot walls inside of the arc chamber. With the use of the above modifications, the atomic H.sub.1.sup.+ ion fraction output can be increased from the normal 50% to greater than 70% with a corresponding decrease in the H.sub.2.sup.+ and H.sub.3.sup.+ molecular ion fraction outputs from the ion source.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4135093
• OSTI ID: 863263
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/250/
50
70
atomic
atomic hydrogen
cathode
chamber
coated wire
corresponding
decrease
discharge
duopigatron
enhance
fed
filament
filament cathode
fraction
gas
hot
hydrogen
hydrogen gas
increased
inside
minimized
modifications
modified
molecular
normal
output
outputs
oven
oxide-coated
predissociated
predissociation
prior
rate
recombination
recombination rate
replacing
source
sources
tungsten
walls
wire
wire filament