Patent JPS63252480A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4407705A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Production of negative ions of hydrogen
Assignee: United States Department of the Air Force
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Filing: 1981-05-14
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Granted: 1983-10-04
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Expires: 2001-05-14
Abstract
Abstract A process for generating negative ions of hydrogen isotopes is described which comprises cooling the hydrogen gas below 300° K., and preferably to about 200° K., vibrationally exciting the molecules of the gas, and the dissociating the molecules by electron impact into neutral hydrogen atoms and negative hydrogen ions. Alternatively, the gas may first be vibrationally excited by heating or the like, and then cooled translationally, for example, by rapid expansion prior to dissociation by electron impact. The processes of this invention are characterized by control of non-equilibrium conditions to obtain large increases in dissociative attachment rates by increasing the population of hydrogen gas molecules having a higher vibrational energy state.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan Garscadden
- 👤 William F. Bailey
- 👤 Gary L. Duke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 02:31
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01B; C01B4/00; B; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/08; B01J19/081; B01J19/085; C01B3/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comrises: a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. vibrationally exciting the molecules of the said hydrogen gas to a first vibrational energy state higher than the ground vibrational state; c. anharmonically pumping said gas to a second vibrationally excited state higher than said first state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
84 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comrises: a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. vibrationally exciting the molecules of the said hydrogen gas to a first vibrational energy state higher than the ground vibrational state; c. anharmonically pumping said gas to a second vibrationally excited state higher than said first state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises: a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. subjecting said gas to an electrical discharge to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas to a first vibrationally excited energy state; c. anharmonically pumping said gas to a second vibrationally excited state higher than said first state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
85 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises: a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. subjecting said gas to an electrical discharge to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas to a first vibrationally excited energy state; c. anharmonically pumping said gas to a second vibrationally excited state higher than said first state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the electrical discharge is operated at an E/N ratio of from about 10 to about 40 Townsend.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises; a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. subjecting said gas to an electrical discharge to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas to a predetermined vibrationally excited energy state; c. anharmonically pumping by laser radiation said cooled and vibrationally excited gas molecules to a higher vibrationally excited energy state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises; a. cooling hydrogen gas to below 300° K.; b. subjecting said gas to an electrical discharge to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas to a predetermined vibrationally excited energy state; c. anharmonically pumping by laser radiation said cooled and vibrationally excited gas molecules to a higher vibrationally excited energy state; and d. impacting the cooled and vibrationally excited hydrogen gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claims 1, 2 or 4 wherein the hydrogen gas is cooled to about 200° K.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1, 2 or 4, further comprising the step of separating the negatively charged hydrogen ions from the remainder of the hydrogen gas.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1, 2, or 4 wherein the hydrogen gas contains a hydrogen isotope selected from the group consisting of protium, deuterium, and tritium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the electrical discharge is operated at an E/N ratio of from about 10 to about 40 Townsend.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process of claims 4 or 8 wherein the predetermined vibrationally excited energy state is selected from the group consisting of v=1 and v=2, and the higher vibrationally excited energy state is selected from the group consisting of v=3, v=4, v=5, v=6, and v=7.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises: a. heating hydrogen gas to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas; b. rapidly expanding said gas to reduce the translational energy of the molecules of said gas; and c. impacting said gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process for producing negatively charged ions of hydrogen which comprises: a. heating hydrogen gas to vibrationally excite the molecules of said gas; b. rapidly expanding said gas to reduce the translational energy of the molecules of said gas; and c. impacting said gas molecules with energetic electrons to produce, by dissociative attachment, neutral hydrogen atoms and negatively charged hydrogen ions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the hydrogen gas contains a hydrogen isotope selected from the group consisting of protium, deuterium, and tritium.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the hydrogen gas is heated in an electrical discharge operated at an E/N ratio of from about 10 to about 40 Townsend.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claims 10 or 12 wherein the hydrogen gas is contained in a gas mixture of hydrogen and a gaseous diluent selected from the group consisting of helium, neon, and argon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 10 or 12 further comprising the step of separating the negative hydrogen ions from the remainder of the gas.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-10-03 | 1987-04-04 | 1987-10-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-10-03 | 1991-04-04 | 1991-10-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-10-03 | 1995-04-04 | 1995-10-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |