Energetic electron plasma blanket

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A HOT ELECTRON PLASMA BLANKET COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SELECTED MIRROR FIELD IN SAID CHAMBER; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR EVACUATION THEREOF TO A SELECTED PRESSURE; AN ELECTRON EMISSIVE FILAMENT CATHODE AND A HOLLOW, WATER-COOLED, GAS-FED ANODE CLOSELY SPACED THEREFROM, SAID ANODE HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER OF A SELECTED VALUE FROM 5/8 TO 5/16 INCH, SAID ANODE AND CATHODE BEING MOUNTED IN ONE END OF SAID CHAMBER AND POSITIONED RADIALLY OFF-AXIS A PRESELECTED DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER; A GAS-FED ANTI-CATHODE MOUNTED OFFAXIS IN THE OTHER END OF SAID CHAMBER AND PROVIDED WITH A BEAM EXPANDER RECESSED PORTION, SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ANODE AND CATHODE; A FLAT-COATED, CENTRALLY APERTURED SHIELD ENCOMPASSING SAID FILAMENT CATHODE WITH THE FACE OF SAID SHIELD BEING POSITIONED FLUSH WITH THE EMITTING SURFACE OF SAID CATHODE; AN IRON SHIELD MEMBER ENCOMPASSING SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE; MEANS FOR COOLING SAID ANTI-CATHODE AND IRON SHIELD MEMBER; A SOURCE OF HIGH VOLTAGE SUPPLY CONNECTED TO SAID FILAMENT CATHODE AND TO SAID APERTURED SHIELD; A SOURCE OF FEED GAS; MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID FEED GAS AT CONTROLLED RATES TO THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID ANODE AND TO THE RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE WITH THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE TOTAL FEED GAS BEING FED TO SAID ANTI-CATHODE, SAID RATE OF GAS FEED TO SAID ANODE BEING SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN A HIGHER PRESSURE WITHIN SAID ANODE THAN THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, WHEREBY A PRESSURE GRADIENT, REFLEXING, OFF-CENTER ARC DISCHARGE IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID FILAMENT CATHODE AND SAID ANTI-CATHODE THROUGH SAID HOLLOW ANODE, SAID OFFCENTER ARC DISCHARGE PRODUCING A ROTATIONALLY DRIFTING HOT ELECTRON PLASMA ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER OF FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL, ENERGETIC ELECTRON PLASMA BLANKET ALONG THE MAGNETIC FIELD LINES PROVIDED BY SAID MIRROR FIELD, THE ELECTRONS IN SAID BLANKET BEING CONTINUOUSLY HEATED BY AN ELECTRON BEAM-PLASMA INTERACTION.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A HOT ELECTRON PLASMA BLANKET COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SELECTED MIRROR FIELD IN SAID CHAMBER; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR EVACUATION THEREOF TO A SELECTED PRESSURE; AN ELECTRON EMISSIVE FILAMENT CATHODE AND A HOLLOW, WATER-COOLED, GAS-FED ANODE CLOSELY SPACED THEREFROM, SAID ANODE HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER OF A SELECTED VALUE FROM 5/8 TO 5/16 INCH, SAID ANODE AND CATHODE BEING MOUNTED IN ONE END OF SAID CHAMBER AND POSITIONED RADIALLY OFF-AXIS A PRESELECTED DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER; A GAS-FED ANTI-CATHODE MOUNTED OFFAXIS IN THE OTHER END OF SAID CHAMBER AND PROVIDED WITH A BEAM EXPANDER RECESSED PORTION, SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ANODE AND CATHODE; A FLAT-COATED, CENTRALLY APERTURED SHIELD ENCOMPASSING SAID FILAMENT CATHODE WITH THE FACE OF SAID SHIELD BEING POSITIONED FLUSH WITH THE EMITTING SURFACE OF SAID CATHODE; AN IRON SHIELD MEMBER ENCOMPASSING SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE; MEANS FOR COOLING SAID ANTI-CATHODE AND IRON SHIELD MEMBER; A SOURCE OF HIGH VOLTAGE SUPPLY CONNECTED TO SAID FILAMENT CATHODE AND TO SAID APERTURED SHIELD; A SOURCE OF FEED GAS; MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID FEED GAS AT CONTROLLED RATES TO THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID ANODE AND TO THE RECESSED PORTION OF SAID ANTI-CATHODE WITH THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE TOTAL FEED GAS BEING FED TO SAID ANTI-CATHODE, SAID RATE OF GAS FEED TO SAID ANODE BEING SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN A HIGHER PRESSURE WITHIN SAID ANODE THAN THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, WHEREBY A PRESSURE GRADIENT, REFLEXING, OFF-CENTER ARC DISCHARGE IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID FILAMENT CATHODE AND SAID ANTI-CATHODE THROUGH SAID HOLLOW ANODE, SAID OFFCENTER ARC DISCHARGE PRODUCING A ROTATIONALLY DRIFTING HOT ELECTRON PLASMA ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER OF FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL, ENERGETIC ELECTRON PLASMA BLANKET ALONG THE MAGNETIC FIELD LINES PROVIDED BY SAID MIRROR FIELD, THE ELECTRONS IN SAID BLANKET BEING CONTINUOUSLY HEATED BY AN ELECTRON BEAM-PLASMA INTERACTION.