Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of accelerating charged particles by means of an IREB comprising the steps of: propagating an annular IREB within a longitudinal drift tube and density modulating said beam to obtain a plurality of longitudinally spaced ring-shaped bunches of electrons; forming a rippled magnetic field with a desired wavelength within said tube; passing said modulated beam through said rippled magnetic field to alternately compress and expand said rings of electron bunches in the radial direction; generating forward and backward electric field waves within said beam; and injecting charged particles into said beam, said charged particles having a component of velocity in the longitudinal direction for capture and acceleration of said charged particles by said beam.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of accelerating charged particles by means of an IREB comprising the steps of: propagating an annular IREB within a longitudinal drift tube and density modulating said beam to obtain a plurality of longitudinally spaced ring-shaped bunches of electrons; forming a rippled magnetic field with a desired wavelength within said tube; passing said modulated beam through said rippled magnetic field to alternately compress and expand said rings of electron bunches in the radial direction; generating forward and backward electric field waves within said beam; and injecting charged particles into said beam, said charged particles having a component of velocity in the longitudinal direction for capture and acceleration of said charged particles by said beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said charged particles are ions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said charged particles are electrons.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein: said ions to be accelerated may be injected into either end of said longitudinal drift tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 which includes forming said rippled magnetic field by placing axially-disposed magnetic-field-producing means coaxially with said longitudinal drift tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 which includes: forming the rippled magnetic field wavelength and the modulated electron beam wavelength to produce the space-charge waves with desired phase velocity, and injecting said charged particles into said beam such that the phase velocity of the injected charged particles matches the phase velocity of the beam wave during the acceleration phase.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
112 words
A particle accelerator which comprises: longitudinal drift tube means having a uniform inner diameter; means for generating an annular IREB and injecting said annular beam into said longitudinal drift tube; means for modulating said beam to obtain bunches of longitudinally spaced rings of electrons; means for forming a longitudinal, rippled magnetic field in axial alignment with said means for modulating said beam and coaxial with said drift tube; means for generating forward and backward electric field waves within said beam; and means for injecting charged particles into said beam, said charged particles having a component of velocity in the longitudinal direction for capture and acceleration of said charged particles by said beam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
112 words
A particle accelerator which comprises: longitudinal drift tube means having a uniform inner diameter; means for generating an annular IREB and injecting said annular beam into said longitudinal drift tube; means for modulating said beam to obtain bunches of longitudinally spaced rings of electrons; means for forming a longitudinal, rippled magnetic field in axial alignment with said means for modulating said beam and coaxial with said drift tube; means for generating forward and backward electric field waves within said beam; and means for injecting charged particles into said beam, said charged particles having a component of velocity in the longitudinal direction for capture and acceleration of said charged particles by said beam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A particle accelerator as claimed in claim 7 wherein: said means for forming said rippled magnetic field includes means for forming a uniform, homogeneous magnetic field surrounding said drift tube, and magnetic-field-forming means confined by said homogeneous magnetic-field-producing means to vary the homogeneous magnetic field to form alternate sections of greater and lesser magnetic field strength.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
A particle accelerator as claimed in claim 7 wherein: said forward and backward electric field waves have a phase velocity which depends upon the rippled magnetic-field wavelength and on the modulated electron beam wavelength, and the phase velocity of the injected charge particles matches the phase velocity of the beam wave during the acceleration phase.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A particle accelerator as claimed in claim 8 wherein: said homogeneous magnetic-field-producing means includes a plurality of side-by-side coils.