Gas ionizer devoid of coaxial electrodes

Claim 2

A gas ionizer adapted to ionizing a gas without the use of a magnetic field which comprises, a first metal electrode having a hollow wall portion defining a chamber, a second metal electrode of rod shape eccentrically positioned a substantial amount with respect to the walls of said wall portion to be in substantial axial misalignment therewith, the cross-sectional size of said second electrode being very much smaller than the cross-sectional area within said wall portion, means for biasing one of said electrodes negatively with respect to the other to a high voltage, means for providing an environment of said gas at very low pressure within the chamber bounded by said first electrode, the pressure of said gas and the dimensions of the wall portion of the first electrode being such that the ionization mean free path of 100-electron-volt electrons in said gas is greater than the largest inside cross-sectional dimension of said wall portion, the said voltage being higher than the starting potential of ion discharge in the said apparatus, and means extending at least part way across the chamber bounded by said first electrode for urging electrons adjacent the opposite ends of said first electrode inwardly away from such ends.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the length of the second electrode is less than about two times the length of the chamber defined by the hollow wall portion of said first electrode and the second electrode is spaced from said wall portion for at least about two-thirds of its length by an amount at least substantially greater than the cross-sectional size of said second electrode.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the length of the second electrode is greater than the length of the chamber defined by the hollow wall portion of the first electrode.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said urging means includes an auxiliary electrode positioned adjacent one of the ends of said first electrode and biased To a negative voltage at least as large as that on said one electrode.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said urging means includes terminations of said first electrode of configuration such that the first electrode substantially completely encloses a discharge chamber with any opening through said first electrode of size much smaller than the maximum cross-sectional area within said hollow wall portion.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 in which said urging means further includes an axial termination for the end of said first electrode opposite the end adjacent said auxiliary electrode, said first electrode substantially completely enclosing a discharge chamber having no opening through the first electrode of size greater than one-half of the cross-sectional area within said hollow wall portion, except at its end adjacent said auxiliary electrode.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said biasing means includes a source of high voltage and connections between said source and said electrodes, the connection to said second electrode being outside of said chamber defined by the first electrode.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said first electrode is a cathode biased negatively with respect to said second electrode, forming an anode.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 in which said cathode has a grid end member formed of spaced wires defining an axial termination of said wall portion thereof.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 in which said cathode has an end member defining a termination of said wall portion thereof, said end member having an aperture therethrough less than one-half as large as said cross-sectional area bounded by the wall portion of the cathode.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 in which the pressure of said gas in millimeters of mercury and the major spacing of the anode from the wall portion of the cathode in centimeters are such that their product is less than 0.1 for hydrogen and isotopes thereof.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 in which said anode is a straight cylindrical wire of such diameter that the major inside dimension of said cathode is more than 100 times as large thereas.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12 in which the major dimension of the cathode is more than 1,000 times as large as the diameter of said wire anode.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 8 including a third electrode spaced from said anode and cathode and within the environment of low-pressure gas, and means biasing said third electrode more negatively than said cathode to attract positive ions from the chamber within said cathode.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the anode is of a zigzag configuration within the chamber defined by the cathode.

Claim 17

Apparatus effective in ionizing a gas without the use of a magnetic field comprising, a hollow metal cathode having a wall portion with end members defining terminations thereof and joined thereto, said end members and said wall portions substantially completely enclosing a space therewithin with any opening therethrough being of a size with is much smaller than the major sectional area within said wall portion, Cross-sectional a cylindrical wire anode eccentrically positioned in and extending substantially through the entire length of the cathode to be in substantial axial misalignment therewith, the major inside dimension of said cathode being at least 1,000 times as large as the diameter of said anode, a gastight enclosure around said cathode confining gas under very low pressure therein, the pressure of said gas in millimeters of mercury and the spacing between the anode and cathode in centimeters being such that their product is less than a quantity X, where X 0.1 for hydrogen and isotopes thereof and varies by a factor of about 13 depending upon the nature of the gas employed in the apparatus, and means for biasing the cathode negatively with respect to the anode to a voltage higher than the starting potential of ion discharge in the said apparatus.

Claim 18

Apparatus effective in ionizing a gas without the use of a magnetic field comprising, a hollow metal cathode having a wall portion with end members defining terminations thereof and joined thereto, said end members and said wall portions substantially completely enclosing a space therewithin with any opening therethrough being of a size with is much smaller than the major sectional area within said wall portion, Cross-sectional a cylindrical wire anode eccentrically positioned in and extending substantially through the entire length of the cathode to be in substantial axial misalignment therewith, the major inside dimension of said cathode being at least 1,000 times as large as the diameter of said anode, a gastight enclosure around said cathode confining gas under very low pressure therein, the pressure of said gas in millimeters of mercury and the spacing between the anode and cathode in centimeters being such that their product is less than a quantity X, where X 0.1 for hydrogen and isotopes thereof and varies by a factor of about 13 depending upon the nature of the gas employed in the apparatus, and means for biasing the cathode negatively with respect to the anode to a voltage higher than the starting potential of ion discharge in the said apparatus.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16 in which the cathode has at least one aperture therethrough of a size which is less than one-half as large as the major cross-sectional area bounded by said cathode, a third electrode spaced from said anode and cathode and within said gastight enclosure, and means for biasing said third electrode to a voltage more negative than that of said cathode.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 17 in which said third electrode carries a material operative to produce neutrons when struck by positive ions developed from said gas.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 in which the anode is less than about two times the length of the chamber defined by the cathode and is spaced from said cathode for at least about two-thirds of its length by an amount at least substantially greater than the cross-sectional size of the anode.