US3379909A - Electron beam generator including a plasma beam in a condensing chamber - Google Patents

Electron beam generator including a plasma beam in a condensing chamber Download PDF

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Publication number
US3379909A
US3379909A US552791A US55279166A US3379909A US 3379909 A US3379909 A US 3379909A US 552791 A US552791 A US 552791A US 55279166 A US55279166 A US 55279166A US 3379909 A US3379909 A US 3379909A
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United States
Prior art keywords
chamber
cathode
electron
condensing chamber
anode
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Expired - Lifetime
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US552791A
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English (en)
Inventor
Breitholtz Bo
Jacobsen Clas
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ABB Norden Holding AB
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ASEA AB
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J3/00—Details of electron-optical or ion-optical arrangements common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J3/02—Electron guns
    • H01J3/025—Electron guns using a discharge in a gas or a vapour as electron source

Definitions

  • a device for generating an electron beam includes means for generating a plasma beam in a condensing chamber. At the side of condensing chamber is an electron chamber having an annular anode and a catch anode. A source of voltage is connected between a plasma emitting cathode and the two anodes. The direction of the voltage between said two anodes is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the plasma beam.
  • the present invention relates to a device by means of which it is possible to generate a continuous electronic current of a size which considerably exceeds what has been possible previously.
  • the characteristics of the invention are evident from the following description.
  • a cathode vessel 1 contains mercury 2 which constitutes the cathode material of the device.
  • the mercury can be heated by means of a heating coil 3.
  • the vapor generated by the heating is led through a tube 4 into a condensing chamber 5 electrically insulated from the cathode vessel in which chamber the tube ends with a nozzle 6.
  • In the condensing chamber at least the wall 7 of the condensing chamber opposite the nozzle is cooled, so that the flowing Hg-vapor is condensed and runs back into the cathode vessel through a condensor tube 8. It is also possible to have all the walls cooled.
  • an annular auxiliary anode 9 is inserted in the tube and connected to a voltage source 10 which is also connected to the Hg-cathode.
  • the voltage drop between the auxiliary anode and the cathode makes the gas in the tube ionize and a plasma stream is obtained which has a high speed when leaving the nozzle 6.
  • the ionization can be increased further by an ionization coil 11 arranged around the tube 4 which coil is fed with a high frequency current.
  • An electron chamber 13 is arranged at the end of the 3,379,909 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 condensing chamber where the nozzle ends.
  • the chamber has a bulge 14 having a wall which is mainly parallel to the direction of the plasma stream and in this wall an opening 15 is made.
  • an annular anode 16 which is connected with the cathode over a voltage source 17.
  • a catch or extractor anode 18 which is connected with the cathode.
  • a voltage source 19 can be included, if it is found suitable.
  • the voltage drop between the annular anode 16 and the cathode causes an electron stream from the Hg-cathode through the tube 4 and the annular anode 16 to the anode 18.
  • the plasma stream has such a high speed when passing the opening 15 that ions and neutral gas atoms continue straight forward, while the electrons due to their negative charge are sucked into the annular anode by the electric field and a pure electron stream is obtained in the electron chamber 13.
  • annular anode is not used, and instead the voltage generating the electron stream is placed between the catch anode 18 and the cathode. It is of course possible to combine these two variations.
  • the electron chamber is provided with a gas inlet 20 and a vacuum pump 21. It is thereby possible to insert any suitable gas in the vacuum chamber.
  • the density of this gas must, however, not be so large that the gas which is forced down through the opening 15 in the accelerating plasma causes too many collisions with cathode material atoms, so that these are spread upwards and into the electron chamber.
  • the plasma which flows to the right also works as a diffusion pump for the gas which is forced down from the electron chamber, whereby a certain amount of gas is obtained at the condensing wall 7. This gas is taken away by means of the vacuum pump 12.
  • the necessary gas current for obtaining the plasma stream can also be taken from a tank containing a suitable gas under high pressure.
  • the gas stream is ionized by means of a gas discharge between said auxiliary anode 9 and an electronic emitter connected thereto across a voltage source.
  • This emitter is preferably arranged in the vicinity of the gas generating device and can consist of a cathode of mercury known per se or other metal, for, example cesium, where the electrons are emitted from the cathode spot. It is also possible to use other devices for generation of a stream of gas or stream.
  • the catch anode 18 can also be placed outside the electron chamber 13, so that the whole space of the chamber is available for examinations and experiments. This is especially suitable if the electron stream is to be used in a gas with a pressure which is too high for use in the electron chamber.
  • an opening which does not let gas through is arranged partly between the condensing chamber and the electron chamber and partly between the electron chamber and the catch anode.
  • a device for generating a continuous electronic current between an anode and a cathode Comprising means for generating a gaseous stream with a high speed, means in the path of such gaseous stream for ionizing said stream to a plasma stream, an anode arranged at the side of the plasma stream positioned to extract electrons therefrom, and a cathode connected to said anode, the gaseous stream generating means comprising a cathode vessel containing an electron emitting metal and provided with a heating device, said metal constituting the cathode, a condensing chamber, a tube connecting the cathode vessel to the condensing chamber, the tube ending in the condensing chamber in a nozzle, means for cooling at least the Wall of the condensing chamber opposite the nozzle, and a return tube for condensed metal leading from the condensing chamber to the cathode vessel.
  • the tube leading from the cathode vessel to the condensing chamber being provided with ionizing means including an annular auxiliary anode.
  • a device according to claim 1, the tube leading from the cathode vessel to the condensing chamber being provided with ionizing means including a device for high frequency ionization of the gaseous stream.
  • a device an electron extracting chamber arranged laterally with respect to the plasma stream in the condensing chamber.
  • a device comprising an annular anode arranged in the electron extracting chamber.
  • a device having a catch anode arranged inside the electron extracting chamber and connected to the cathode.
  • a device in the connection between said catch anode and the cathode.

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  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
US552791A 1965-05-25 1966-05-25 Electron beam generator including a plasma beam in a condensing chamber Expired - Lifetime US3379909A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE682765 1965-05-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3379909A true US3379909A (en) 1968-04-23

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ID=20269698

Family Applications (1)

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US552791A Expired - Lifetime US3379909A (en) 1965-05-25 1966-05-25 Electron beam generator including a plasma beam in a condensing chamber

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3379909A (de)
CH (1) CH448303A (de)
GB (1) GB1140374A (de)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2169131B (en) * 1984-12-22 1988-11-09 English Electric Valve Co Ltd Gas discharge devices
DE10058326C1 (de) * 2000-11-24 2002-06-13 Astrium Gmbh Induktiv gekoppelte Hochfrequenz-Elektronenquelle mit reduziertem Leistungsbedarf durch elektrostatischen Einschluss von Elektronen

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1093152A (fr) * 1953-02-13 1955-05-02 Philips Nv Dispositif pour analyser des substances ou pour déceler une petite quantité d'une substance
US2754442A (en) * 1954-05-25 1956-07-10 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Ion source
US2943239A (en) * 1954-06-29 1960-06-28 Schlumberger Well Surv Corp Method and apparatus for renewing targets
US3275867A (en) * 1962-02-15 1966-09-27 Hitachi Ltd Charged particle generator

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1093152A (fr) * 1953-02-13 1955-05-02 Philips Nv Dispositif pour analyser des substances ou pour déceler une petite quantité d'une substance
US2754442A (en) * 1954-05-25 1956-07-10 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Ion source
US2943239A (en) * 1954-06-29 1960-06-28 Schlumberger Well Surv Corp Method and apparatus for renewing targets
US3275867A (en) * 1962-02-15 1966-09-27 Hitachi Ltd Charged particle generator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1140374A (en) 1969-01-15
CH448303A (de) 1967-12-15

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