Nuclear analytical apparatus

Claim 1

A SOURCE OF NEUTRONS COMPRISING: A TUBE STRUCTURE CONTAINING A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF DEUTERIUM AND TRITIUM; A SPACED PAIR OF ELECTRODES SUPPORTED IN SAID ENVELOPE, ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES FORMING A TARGET; A SLEEVE ELECTRODE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES WITH THE AXIS THEREOF EXTENDING IN A PATH BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES; A RING MAGNET POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SLEEVE ELECTRODES; SAID RING MAGNET PRODUCING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING MAGNETIC FIELD WITHIN SAID SLEEVE ELECTRODE; A FIRST VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF ELECTRODES; A SECOND VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SLEEVE ELECTRODE AND THE OTHER ONE OF SAID PAIR OF ELECTRODES WHEREBY BOTH AN ELECTRICAL FIELD AND A MAGNETIC FIELD ARE PRODUCED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE ELECTRODE; SAID MAGNETIC FIELD AND E''ECTRIC FIELD COATING TO PRODUCE IONIZATION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE AND TO ACCELERATE RESULTING IONS TOWARDS SAID TARGET, SAID RESULTING IONS IMPINGING ON SAID TARGET TO DEPLETE THE GASEOUS MIXTURE; AND ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED DEUTERIUM AND TRITIUM STOREGE MEANS IN SAID TUBE OPERABLE TO REPLENISH THE GASEOUS MIXTURE IN SAID ENVELOPE AS IT IS DEPLETED IN SAID TARGET, THE IONS IMPRINGING ON SAID TARGET BEING RETAINED BY THE TARGET FOR REACTION WITH SUBSEQUENT ACCELERATED IONS T PRODUCE HIGH ENERGY NEUTRONS.