Method of and apparatus for production and manipulation of high density charge

Abstract

Disclosed are high electrical charge density entities, generated in electrical discharge production. Apparatus for isolating the high charge density entities, selecting them and manipulating them by various guide techniques are disclosed. Utilizing such apparatus, the paths followed by the entities may be switched, or selectively varied in length, for example, whereby the entities may be extensively manipulated. Additional devices are disclosed for the manipulation and exploitation of these entities, including their use with a camera and also in an oscilloscope.

Field of the invention

The present invention pertains to the production, manipulation and exploitation of high electrical charge density entities. More particularly, the present invention relates to high negative electrical charge density entities, generated by electrical discharge production, and which may be utilized in the transfer of electrical energy.

Brief description of prior art

Intense plasma discharges, high intensity electron beams and like phenomena have been the subjects of various studies. Vacuum Arcs Theory and Application, Edited by J. M. Lafferty, John Wiley & Sons, 1980, includes a brief history of the study of vacuum discharges, as well as detailed analyses of various features of vacuum arcs in general. Attention has been focused on cathode spots and the erosion of cathodes used in producing discharges, as well as anode spots and structure of the discharges. The structure of electron beams has been described in terms of vortex filaments. Various investigators have obtained evidence for discharge structures from target damage studies of witness plate records formed by the incidence of the discharge upon a plane plate interposed in the electrical path of the discharge between the source and the anode. Pinhole camera apparatus has also disclosed geometric structure indicative of localized dense sources of other radiation, such as X-rays and neutrons, attendant to plasma focus and related discharge phenomena. Examples of anomalous structure in the context of a plasma environment are varied, including lightning, in particular ball lightning, and sparks of any kind, including sparks resulting from the opening or closing of relays under high voltage, or under low voltage with high current flow.

The use of a dielectric member to constrain or guide a high current discharge is known from studies of charged particle beams propagating in close proximity to a dielectric body. In such investigations, the entire particle flux extracted from the source was directed along the dielectric guide. Consequently, the behavior of the particle flux was dominated by characteristics of the gross discharge. As used herein, "gross discharge" means, in part, the electrons, positive ions, negative ions, neutral particles and photons typically included in an electrical discharge. Properties of particular discrete structure present in the discharge are not clearly differentiated from average properties of the gross discharge. In such studies utilizing a dielectric guide, the guide is employed wholly for path constraint purposes. Dielectric guides are utilized in the context of the present invention for the manipulation of high charge density entities as opposed to the gross discharge.

The structure in plasma discharges which has been noted by prior investigators may not reflect the same causal circumstances, nor even the same physical phenomena, pertinent to the present invention. Whereas the high charge density entities of the present invention may be present, if unknown, in various discharges, the present invention discloses an identification of the entities, techniques for generating them, isolating them and manipulating them, and applications for their use. The technology of the present invention defines, at least in part, a new technology with varied applications, including, but not limited to, execution of very fast processes, transfer of energy utilizing miniaturized components, time analysis of other phenomena and spot production of X-rays.

Summary of the invention

The present invention involves a high charge density entity being a relatively discrete, negatively charged, high density state of matter that may be produced by the application of a high electrical field between a cathode and an anode. I have named this entity ELECTRUM VALIDUM, abbreviated "EV," from the Greek "elektron" for electronic charge, and from the Latin "valere" meaning to have power, to be strong, and having the ability to unite. As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, EV's are also found to exist in a gross electrical discharge.

The present invention includes discrete EV's comprising individual EV's as well as EV "chains" identified hereinbelow. It is an object of the present invention to provide for the generation of EV's within a discharge, and for the separation of the EV's from the diffuse space charge limited flux produced therewith.

It is a further object to manipulate EV's in time and space.

It is yet another object to isolate and manipulate EV's to achieve precise relative time interval control and measurement.

In general, and according to the present invention, EV's may be produced utilizing a generator such as, but not limited to, a vacuum or gaseous diode. In one form of such a generator, dielectric material is disposed between an emissive cathode and a second electrode, or anode, which is thus shielded by the dielectric member from the cathode to avoid direct cathode-to-anode discharge. The dielectric member, however, provides a surface along which an EV may move toward the anode. Such a dielectric member may be constructed to define guides, such as channels or the like, to constrain an EV to a defined path. A counterelectrode may underlie the desired path on the opposite side of the dielectric material to further constrain the EV to the path. Adding a low pressure gas above the dielectric surface facilitates movement of the EV across the dielectric.

In another form of generator, a cylindrically-symmetric cathode is displaced from an anode over a gap which may be in vacuum or subject to low pressure gas within a dielectric enclosure. In a variation of such structure, a cathode constructed on the exterior of a conical dielectric member having an anode positioned therewithin, may produce an EV which can be launched across a gap in vacuum or low pressure gas, attracted by a counterelectrode carried on the outside of a tubular dielectric member into which the EV is manipulated, as one form of an EV launcher.

Various cathode structures are provided, including cylindrically symmetric as well as planar, and techniques for wetting the structures with conducting material to repair erosion are also disclosed.

A counterelectrode, positioned behind a dielectric structure having an acute edge generally intermediate a cathode and an anode in the case of either a cylindrically-symmetric generator or a generator for propagating EV's along a surface, may be utilized to separate a desired EV from electrons and ions that may be presented with the discharge by which the EV is formed. A similar structure permits the selection of EV's from a multiple EV production.

The dielectric guide principles are further refined to provide devices whereby EV paths may be split, which even allows for the controlled arrival time of EV's at specific points. Freeing an EV from a guide path, for example, permits selective adjustment of its path to produce an EV switch device, for example.

The present invention includes techniques for guiding EV's by inductance/capacitance effects, which are also utilized for generating radio frequency signals incident on the passage of the EV. The production of visible light accompanying propagation of an EV in a gaseous environment is utilized to provide optical guides for the EV path to follow.

Since an EV represents a high concentration of electric charge, its propagation to and arrival at an anode, for example, can be utilized to produce fast rise and fall time pulses. Such fast pulses have various applications, including the production of an appropriate potential pulse on a cathode to produce pure field emission production of EV's. A planar cathode generator is also provided for pure field emission production of EV's. Impact of EV's on an appropriate target may also be utilized to produce X-rays from a concentrated region of the target.

The emission of electrons incident upon the propagation of EV's may be utilized to produce controlled emission of high density electrons for various applications. Additionally, an EV oscilloscope is disclosed whereby signal analysis may be effected utilizing a deflector field to affect the propagation of an EV whereby the incident electron emission may be observed on a phosphor screen, or the like, to study the applied time-varying field, for example. Further, an electron camera is provided for observing the behavior of EV's, in applied deflected fields or otherwise.

The present invention thus provides the EV's themselves, as well as various techniques for the generation, isolation, manipulation and exploitation of EV's.

Definition and some EV properties

An EV is a discrete, self-contained, negatively charged bundle of electrons. While not yet fully understanding the configuration of an EV, I believe the self-containment to be due to electromagnetic fields set up between the electrons within the bundle, based upon my many observations of EV behavior. This, of course, is in sharp contrast to a conventional electron beam in which the containment of electrons is due either to an external electrostatic field or an external magnetic field. As is well known in the art, electrons, each being negatively charged, tend to repel each other.

It should also be appreciated that even though the EV is a self-contained bundle of electrons, it does prefer to communicate with other objects or entities, such as other EV's, dielectrics and electrodes, for example, as contrasted with going off on its own, and tends to come apart after some period of time if there is nothing with which to communicate.

Primary characteristics of an EV include its relatively small size (for example on the order of one micrometer in lateral dimension, but can be larger or as small as 0.1 micrometer), and high, uncompensated electron charge (that is, without positive ions, or at least with an upper limit of one ion per 100,000 electron charges), typically on the order of 10¹¹ electron charges. The minimum charge observed for a one micrometer EV is 10⁸ electron charges. The charge density of an EV approximates the average density of a solid, that is, on the order of 6.6×10²³ electron charges/cm³, but without being space charge neutralized by ions or having relativistic electron motion. The velocity attained by an EV under applied fields (on the order of one tenth the speed of light) indicates that the EV charge-to-mass ratio is similar to that of an electron, and deflection of EV's by fields of known polarity shows that EV's respond as electrons, that is, as negatively charged entities.

As best as can be determined at present, the shape of an EV is most likely generally spherical, but may be toric, and could have fine structure. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 60, an EV is illustrated as having a central sphere 800 of self-contained electrons, surrounded by an electromagnetic field 801. Coupling between EV's produces quasi stable structures. However, lone EV's are rarely observed. EV's exhibit a tendency to link up like beads in a chain, for example, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 61, wherein the EV beads in the chain may be somewhat free to rotate or twist about each other under the influence of external forces or internal forces. The chains, which are closed, may be observed to form ring-like structures as large as 20 micrometers in diameter, and multiple chains may also unite and mutually align in relatively orderly fashion. In the chain 810 of FIG. 61, the ten EV's 812, 814, 816, 818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828 and 830 are shown generally in a circular pattern. Spacing of EV beads in a chain is normally approximately equal to the diameter of the individual beads. Spacing of one chain ring from another is on the order of one ring diameter. A one micrometer wide ring of ten EV beads, which is the typical number of beads in a chain, may include 10¹² electron charges. Individual EV beads may be observed within a chain ring. An EV entity, which is in the nature of a non-neutral electron plasma, is most strongly bound, with the binding force between EV beads in a chain being weaker, and finally the binding between chains of beads being the weakest. However, all of the binding energies appear to be greater than chemical binding energy of materials. Additional EV properties are discussed hereinafter.

Generators

An EV may be generated at the end of an electrode that has a sufficiently large negative voltage applied to it. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an EV generator, shown generally at 10, including a cathode 12 generally in the form of an elongate rod having a neck portion 12a ending in a point and directed generally downwardly toward an anode plate 14 separated from the cathode by an intervening dielectric plate 16. As indicated in the drawing, the anode, or collector electrode, 14 is maintained at a relatively positive voltage value, which may be ground, and a negative pulse on the order of 10 kv is applied to the cathode 12 to generate an intense electric field at the point of the cathode. With the resulting field emission at the cathode tip, one or more EV's are formed, generally in the vicinity of where the point of the cathode approaches or contacts the dielectric at A. The EV's are attracted to the anode 14, and travel across the surface of the dielectric 16 toward the anode, generally along a path indicated by the dashed line B, for example, as long as the dielectric surface is uncharged. Propagation of one, or several EVS, along the dielectric surface may leave the surface locally charged. A subsequent EV will follow an erratic path on the surface unless the surface charge is first dispersed, as discussed in detail hereinafter. The insulating dielectric plate 16, which is preferably of a high quality dielectric, such as quartz, prevents a direct discharge between the cathode 12 and the anode 14, and also serves to provide a surface along which the EV's may travel.

If desired, a witness plate 18 may be positioned adjacent the anode 14 to intercept the EV's from the cathode 12. The witness plate 18 may be in the form of a conducting foil which will sustain visible damage upon impact by an EV. Thus, the witness plate 18 may be utilized to detect the generation of EV's as well as to locate their points of impact at the anode 14. Additionally, an EV propagating across the dielectric surface will make an optically visible streak on the surface. As discussed in further detail hereinafter, other components may be utilized in conjunction with the generator 10 to further manipulate and/or exploit the EV's thus generated.

The generator 10 may be located within an appropriate enclosure (not shown) and thus operated in vacuum or in a controlled gaseous atmosphere as desired. In general, all of the components disclosed herein may be so positioned within appropriate enclosures to permit selection of the atmosphere in which the components are operated. Terminals or the like, and gas transmission lines may be utilized to communicate electrical signals and selected gas at desired pressure through the enclosure walls.

The scale indication of 10 mm included in FIG. 1 is a typical dimension for EV generating components. Generally, when EV's are generated and manipulated in small numbers, they can be made and guided by small structures. Even when large structures are used, an EV seeks the smallest details of the gross structures and is guided by them and interacts most actively with them, leaving the larger details unattended. To a first approximation, generation and manipulation of individual EV beads may be accomplished with structures having overall dimensions of as little as ten micrometers.

Generally, very stable materials are desired for use in the construction of structures to generate, manipulate and exploit EV's, including refractory metals and dielectrics chosen to approach as closely as possible the binding energy of an EV, so as to preserve the life of the structures. Some dielectric materials, such as low melting point plastic, are not as preferably as other materials, for example, such as ceramic.

With any type of EV generator, and whether dc or a pulse signal is applied to the cathode, it is necessary to complete the current flow path around a loop by using an electrode of some type to collect the EV (except in the case of "electrodeless" sources as discussed hereinafter).

Another form of EV generator is shown generally at 20 in FIG. 3, and includes a cylindrically symmetric cathode 22 having a conical end facing but displaced from an anode/collector electrode 24 which is also cylindrically symmetric. An operating circuit includes a load resistor 26 connecting the anode 24 to ground, while a current limiting input resistor 28 is interposed between the cathode 22 and an input terminal 30. The anode 24 is equipped with an output terminal 32 to which may be connected ancillary equipment. For example, detection equipment (not shown), such as an oscilloscope, may be joined to the system by terminal 32 whereby the impact of EV's on the anode may be noted.

An enclosure, such as within a cylindrical glass tube 34, may be provided whereby the environment in the gap between the cathode 22 and the anode 24 may be controlled, and maintained either in vacuum or at a selected gas pressure. The tubing 34 may be appropriately sealed and fitted with communication lines (not shown) to a vacuum pump and/or gas supply to control the environment within the tube.

The cathode 22 may be driven by a negative-going pulse, or a direct current, of approximately 2 kv relative to the anode. The length of the negative pulse may be varied from a few nanoseconds to dc without greatly influencing the production of EV's. Under long pulse length conditions, the input resistor 28 must be chosen to prevent a sustained glow discharge within the glass tube. Under high vacuum conditions, or low pressure such as 10⁻³ torr, the discharge is easily quenched and the resistor 28 may be eliminated, but for a gaseous environment of higher pressure, a value of the resistor must be chosen that is consistent with the gas pressure used so as to quench the discharge. For operation in both a vacuum and gaseous regime using a pulse length of 0.1 microsecond, for example, a typical resistor value of 500 to 1500 ohms can be used.

In high vacuum operation of the generator 20, the spacing between the cathode 22 and the anode 24 should preferably be less than 1 mm for a 2 kv signal applied to the cathode. For operation in gases at pressures of a few torr, the distance between the cathode 22 and the anode 24 may be increased to over 60 cm provided a ground plane 36 is used adjacent the glass tubing as shown. The ground plane 36 may extend partly around the tubing 34, or even circumscribe the tube. For particular applications, the glass tube 34 can be replaced by other structures to guide EV's, as discussed hereinafter, and various circuits can be devised to take advantage of various EV properties.

Cathodes

The cathodes, such as 12 and 22 discussed hereinbefore, may be pointed by any appropriate technique, such as grinding and polishing and even chemical etching to achieve a sufficiently sharp point to allow the concentration of a very high field at the end of the cathode. Under normal conditions, as EV's are generated at the tip of such a metallic electrode, the electrode material is dispersed and the cathode point or other configuration is destroyed by the energy dissipated in it, and the voltage required to produce EV's increases. However, the cathode may be coupled to a source of liquid conductor, and the tip of the electrode regenerated in a very short time. FIG. 4 shows a metallic electrode 40 that is wetted with a conductive substance 42 coated onto the cathode whereby the coating material may undergo surface migration to the pointed tip of the electrode. The migrating material renews the tip of the electrode to maintain a sharp point as EV generation by the electrode tends to deteriorate the electrode tip. Surface tension of the coating material 42, its destruction at the tip, and the electric field generated at the cathode combine to propel the migration of the coating substance toward the tip.

In FIG. 5 an electrode 44 is surrounded by a tube 46 whereby an annular spacing 48 is defined between the outer surface of the electrode and the inner surface of the tube. The spacing 48 serves to maintain a reservoir of coating material 50 which is held within the spacing by surface tension, but wets the cathode and migrates to the tip of the cathode in forming a coating 52 thereon to maintain an appropriately sharpened cathode point. The reservoir tube 46 is preferably a non-conductor, such as aluminum oxide ceramic, to prevent unwanted electron emission from the tube as well as unwanted migration of the wetting material along the tube. Otherwise, a conductor tube may be used as long as it is not too close to the cathode tip, whereupon the tube may emit electrons. The coating material 50 may, in general, be any metallic liquid such as mercury, which may appropriately migrate over an electrode 44 constructed of copper, for example.

The cathodes 40 and 44 of FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, are designed for EV emission from a specific point. In FIG. 6 a tubular cathode 54 features a conically shaped interior at one end forming a sharp, circular edge, or line, 56 at which EV's are generated. The cylindrical portion of the interior of the line cathode 54 defines, by means of surface tension, a reservoir of coating material 58 which wets and migrates along the conical interior surface of the cathode toward the emitting edge 56. Thus, the migrating material 58 renews the circular edge 56 to keep it appropriately sharp for EV generation.

Generally, for a source that can be fired repeatedly to produce EV's, a migratory conductor is needed on a conductive substrate that has a field-enhancing shape. The sharpened point of a cathode, such as shown in FIG. 4 or 5, may become further sharpened by the effect of the metallic coating wetted thereon being drawn into a microscopic cone by the applied field. Similarly, the coating material in a tubular cathode, such as shown in FIG. 6, is drawn to the circular edge due to field effects to provide a particularly sharp edge including microscopic emitting cones.

A wide variety of materials can be used to construct wetted cathodes in general. Typically, for room temperature operation of an EV generator, the cathode may be constructed of pointed copper wire coated with mercury. Alternatively, mercury can be coated onto silver or molybdenum. Similarly, gallium indium alloys or tin lead alloys can be used to coat a variety of substrate metals to form cathodes. Examples of cathode structures for use at high temperatures include aluminum coated titanium carbide for operations at 600° C., and boron oxide glass coated tungsten in operations at approximately 900° C.

Non-metal conductive coatings may also be used. For example, coatings of glycerin doped with potassium iodide or sodium iodide, and nitroglycerin doped with nitric acid, have been successfully used with a variety of metallic substrates such as copper, nickel, tungsten and molybdenum. The glycerin is nitrated by including acid, or doped, to impart some conductivity to the organic material. However, it is not necessary to dope for conductivity if the coating material is kept to a very thin layer. Polarization of such material is sufficient to allow the material to be moved in a field to thus pump the material to a field enhancing tip.

It will be appreciated that operation of a wetted source, particularly in a reduced ambient pressure environment, even a vacuum, is accompanied by the wetting material vaporizing, or yielding gaseous products. Thus, the metal-wetting material forms a vapor. Organic or inorganic gases may be acquired depending on the wetting substance. Field emission is accompanied by current through the cathode which heats the cathode, causing the vaporization of the wetting material. Field emitted electrons impact and ionize the vapor particles. The resulting positive ion cloud further enhances field emission to produce an explosive-like runaway process resulting in a high, local electron density.

Variations of wetted cathodes may enhance migration of wetting material, return evaporated material to the source, keep the field producing structure sharp and/or help reduce ionization time to allow high pulsing frequencies to produce EV's. To take advantage of the regeneration provided by wetting cathodes, the pulse rate of the signal applied to the cathode to generate EV's must be low enough to allow migration of the coating material to restore the point or line between pulses. However, for extended, or line, sources, such as the circular cathode 54 of FIG. 6, the pulse rate may be raised to much higher values than is practical for use with point sources since the complete regeneration of the line between pulses by coating migration is not necessary. Some portion of the line cathode is generally left sharp for subsequent EV production after production of EV's elsewhere along the line.

FIG. 7 shows an EV generator 60 including a ceramic base 62 having a planar, or surface, cathode 64 positioned along one surface of the base, and a planar anode, or counterelectrode, 66 positioned along another surface of the base generally opposite to the position of the cathode. The cathode 64, which is effectively another form of extended or line source, may be coated with a metallic hydride, such as zirconium hydride or titanium hydride, to produce EV's. Such a cathode continues effective provided hydrogen is recharged into the hydride. This can be done by operating the generator, or source, in a hydrogen atmosphere so that the cathode is operating in the thyratron mode, which is a known hydride regeneration technique. However, since there is no flow of wetting material onto the cathode base material, after a period of use the coating material disperses and the source fails to fire. Consequently, in general, the surface source 64 has a shorter effective life than cathodes on which migratory material is deposited, such as those shown in FIGS. 4-6. Additional details of the construction and operation of a surface generator such as illustrated in FIG. 7 are provided hereinafter.

Separators

In general, the production of EV's is accompanied by the formation of a plasma discharge, including ions and disorganized electrons, generally where the EV's are produced at the cathode, with the plasma charge density being at least 10⁶ electron charges per cubic micrometer, and typically 10⁸ charges per cubic micrometer. In the case of a relatively short distance between cathode and anode of a source, the high plasma density accompanying the formation of the EV's is usually produced in the form of a local spark. As the distance between the cathode and the anode is increased, EV production and transmission is also accompanied by the formation of streamers, that is, excited ions in a gaseous mode along the path of an EV which yield light upon electron transition. As noted hereinbefore, an EV itself comprises an extremely high total charge density. Typically, a chain ring of ten EV beads, with each bead approximately 1 micrometer in width, may contain 10¹² electron charges and, moving at approximately one-tenth the speed of light, may pass a point in 10⁻¹⁴ seconds, establishing a high current density easily distinguishable from ordinary electron current. Generally, in the case of a pulsed source, an EV may be expected to be formed for each pulse applied to the cathode, in addition to the extraneous charge production that may accompany EV production.

The various components of the plasma discharge present when EV's are formed are considered as contaminants to the EV, and are preferably stripped away from the EV propagation. Such stripping can be accomplished by enclosing the EV source in a separator, positioning an aperture or small guide groove between the source and the extractor electrode, or anode. A counterelectrode is provided on the enclosure for use in the formation of the EV's. The discharge contaminants are contained within the separator while the EV's may exit through the aperture or groove toward an extractor electrode.

An EV generator shown generally at 70 in FIG. 8, includes a cylindrically-symmetric and pointed cathode 72, which may be mercury wetted copper, for example, and a plate anode 74, and is equipped with a cylindrically-symmetric separator 76. The separator 76 includes a generally tubular member, constructed preferably of a dielectric, for example a ceramic such as aluminum oxide, that tapers beyond the point of the cathode 72 in a region 78 including a frustoconical exterior surface and a frustoconical interior surface of smaller angle of taper to form an aperture 80 defined by a relatively sharp circular end of the tubular member. When a dielectric is used for the tunnel 76, a counterelectrode 82 is formed on the exterior of the tunnel and maintained at a positive potential relative to the cathode 72, while the anode 74 is positive relative to the counterelectrode. Typically, the voltage values may be in the range of 4 kv, 2 kv and zero on the extractor anode 74, the counterelectrode 82 and the cathode 72, respectively. The electrode 82 not only provides the relative positive potential for the formation of the EV's but acts as a counterelectrode for propagating the EV's through the nozzle aperture 80, while the displaced anode 74 represents a load, for example, and may be replaced by any other type of exploiting load. Other materials, such as semiconductors, may be used to form the tunnel 76 with appropriate electrical isolation from the cathode 72. In such cases, the tunnel material itself can serve as a counterelectrode.

Since an EV induces an image charge in a dielectric separator 76, the EV tends to be attracted to the dielectric surface. However, the various contaminants of the formation discharge, including electrons and ions, may be repelled by the tunnel separator 76, at the same time the EV's are attracted to the tunnel. Thus, the EV's may emerge through the aperture 80 free of the discharge contaminants, which are retained within the separator 76. The cross section of the aperture 80 must be such as to allow emergence of EV's while at the same time providing a sufficiently narrow channel to retain the discharge contaminants and prevent their passage through the aperture.

The construction of the generator 70 with the tubular separator 76 having a small aperture 80 is relatively convenient for use with various environments between the cathode 72 and the anode 74. For example, the exit side of the nozzle formed by the separator 76 with the aperture 80 may be subject to vacuum or selected gas pressure as desired. The formation side of the nozzle, that is, the interior of the separator 76 in which the cathode 72 is positioned, may be vented to either vacuum or a gaseous region as selected, different from the exit side environment. Appropriate pumping can be utilized to maintain the desired environments.

While the separator 76 illustrated and described hereinabove is shaped like a funnel, I have found that a square box (not shown) having a small aperture, similar to aperture 80, for the EV's to exit, works quite well in separating the EV's from the remainder of the electrical discharge, which as stated before, may include electrons, positive and negative ions, neutral particles and photons.

FIG. 9 shows an EV generator, indicated generally at 84, equipped with a separator designed for use in a planar construction for an EV generator. A dielectric base 86 is fitted with a surface cathode 88. A separator in the form of a dielectric cover 90 extends over and beyond the cathode 88, and terminates in a sloped exterior surface which, coupled with a sloped interior surface of smaller angle of slope, provides a relatively sharp edge suspended a short distance 92 above the surface of the base 86. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the separator 90 is also pointed in the transverse direction at the edge toward the spacing 92, and features walls 94 which cooperate with the sloped interior surface to define the peripheral limits of the region effectively enclosed between the separator cover and the base 86. The outer flat surface of the cover 90 is partially coated with a counterelectrode 96, which extends downwardly approximately two-thirds the length of the sloped outer surface of the cover to provide a relative positive potential for the formation and propagation of EV's from the cathode 80. A target anode 98 is positioned on the opposite side of the ceramic base 86 to collect propagated EV's, and may be replaced by some other load used in manipulating and/or exploiting the generated EV's.

The separator 90 functions essentially like the separator 76 of FIG. 8 in that the EV's generated by the cathode 88 in FIG. 9 are attracted forward by the counterelectrode 96 of the cover 90 toward the opening 92, while extraneous discharge contaminants are retained within the cover 96. Alternatively, the cathode 88 may be set in a groove (not shown) extending beyond the back of the cover 90, and the cover set down on the base 86. A small groove may be provided on the underside of the cover, or on the base, in the area 92 to allow passage of EV's out of the cover enclosure. The groove of the cathode 88 may continue through the area 92 to allow exit of the EV's from under the cover 90. Additionally, the counterelectrode 96 may be deleted if the anode 98 extends to the left, as seen in FIG. 9, to underlie the area 92.

The base 86 and the separator cover 90 may be constructed from ceramic materials such as aluminum oxide, and the counterelectrode 96 and the anode 98 may be formed from a conductive layer of silver fired onto the ceramic substrate, for example. The cathode 88 may be formed of silver fired onto the dielectric, and wetted with mercury, for example.

Other coating processes for constructing conductor patterns, such as thermal evaporation or sputtering, may be used to form the counterelectrodes of the two separators 76 and 90 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively. The openings provided by the separators must be sufficiently small to permit emergence of the EV's while stripping away the discharge contaminants. For example, the aperture 80 of the separator 76 in FIG. 8 may be approximately 0.05 mm in diameter for the generator operating at 2 kv, and with a circular lip thickness of approximately 0.025 cm. The lip and opening sizes provided by the cover separator 90 of FIG. 9 may be comparable. In either case, smaller openings can tolerate smaller voltages and still filter contaminants effectively. Generally, the exact cross-sectional shape of the separator is not of primary importance for the filtering function.

RC guides

In general, an anode cooperates with a cathode in the application of appropriate electrical potential to generate EV's, and may serve as the target or load of the generator, and actually be impacted by EV's. In general, a counterelectrode is not impacted by EV's, but is used in the manipulation and control of EV's, and may be used in the generation of EV's. For example, the counterelectrodes 82 and 96 of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively, contribute to drawing the EV's forward away from the region of EV generation at the respective cathodes, but the EV's continue on to possibly strike the anodes 74 and 98, respectively, although both counterelectrodes 82 and 96 also provide the EV formation voltage. As discussed more fully hereinafter, an EV may move along or close to the surface of a dielectric material placed in the path of propagation of the EV. If a ground plane, or counterelectrode, at an appropriate positive potential, relative to the generating cathode, is positioned on the opposite side of the dielectric material, the EV propagating on the cathode side of the dielectric material will tend to be attracted to the counterelectrode through the dielectric, and this attraction may be used to influence the path of the EV along the dielectric as discussed more fully hereinafter, particularly in the case of RC (resistance/capacitance) guides for EV's.

If an EV is directed toward a dielectric structure, backed by a counterelectrode or anode at relative positive potential, the EV may move on the surface of the dielectric in an apparent random fashion. However, the path of the EV is determined by local electrical effects, such as the dielectric polarizability, surface charge, surface topography, thickness of the dielectric and the initial potential of the backing electrode along with its conductivity. The major mechanism that affects the movement of EV's on dielectric surfaces is the polarizability of the dielectric producing an image force that attracts the EV to the dielectric, but doesn't move the EV forward. Even in the absence of a counterelectrode at an appropriate potential, the induced image charge tends to attract an EV to the dielectric surface. The EV cannot go into the dielectric. Consequently, an EV will tend to move across the surface of a dielectric and, when an edge or corner of the dielectric material is reached, the EV will, in general, go around that corner. As noted hereinbefore, EV's tend to follow fine structural details, and this is evident from the guiding effect caused by surface scratches and imperfections. Generally, any intersection of two dielectric surfaces or planes having an angle of intersection less than 180° will tend to guide the EV along the line of intersection.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an EV guide component shown generally at 100, including a dielectric base member 102 featuring a smooth groove 104 providing an enhanced guide effect. A counterelectrode plate 106 covers most of the opposite surface of the base 102 from the groove 104, and may be maintained at relative positive potential with respect to the emitting cathode, which is generally directed toward one end of the groove. The guide component 100 may be utilized, for example, in conjunction with an EV generator as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a separator such as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. However, such a guide member 100 may be utilized with virtually any EV source and other components as well. An optional top cover 108, of dielectric material as well, is illustrated in FIG. 11 for placing over the groove 104, in contact with the base 102.

The width and depth of the groove 104 need only be a few micrometers for guiding small numbers of EV's. However, as the power to be handled increases and the number of EV's increases, crowding may become a problem and it is necessary to increase the size of the groove. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 104 is not of primary importance in its ability to guide EV's. With EV's generated by a generator such as shown either in FIGS. 1 and 2 or in FIG. 3, and coupled to a guiding component by a separator such as illustrated in FIGS. 8 or 9 and 10, and with guiding component, such as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, comprising a fused silica or aluminum oxide dielectric base with an overall thickness of 0.0254 cm and having a groove 104 of 0.05 mm in depth and 0.05 mm in width, the guiding action is demonstrable.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a variation of a planar guide component, indicated generally at 110 and including a dielectric base 112 with a dielectric tile 114 positioned on and appropriately bonded to the base. The intersection of the surface of the base 112 with the surface of the tile meeting the base at a 90° angle of intersection (that is, one half of a groove such as 104 in FIGS. 11 and 12) would provide a 90° "V" along which EV's could propagate. The guiding effect, however, is enhanced by a beveled edge as shown, set at approximately 45°, along the tile surface intersecting the base to form a groove indicated generally at 116. A counterelectrode plate 118 is positioned along the opposite surface of the base 112 from the tile 114. A collection of tiles such as 114, complete with beveled edges to form grooves such as 116, may be positioned along the base 112 in a mosaic to define an extended guide path. The guide component 110 may be utilized with virtually any other components used to generate, manipulate and/or exploit EV's.

The guiding action on an EV may be enhanced by use of a tubular dielectric guide so that the EV may move along the interior of the tube. FIG. 15 illustrates a tubular dielectric guide member 120 having an interior, smooth passage of circular cross section 122 and coated on the outside with a counterelectrode 124. The cross-sectional area of the interior channel 122 should be slightly larger than the EV bead or bead chain to be guided thereby for best propagation properties.

The glass tube 34 with the ground plane 36 encircling the tube, shown with the generator 20 in FIG. 3, is a guide of the type shown in FIG. 15. For different applications, the glass tube 34 in FIG. 3 may be replaced by a guide of another type.

FIG. 16 illustrates a guide member constructed generally as the reverse of that of FIG. 14, namely, a dielectric tubular member 126 having an interior channel 128 coated with an interior counterelectrode 130, and providing the exterior, generally cylindrical surface 132 as a guide surface in conjunction with the dielectric structure itself and the counterelectrode 130. In this instance, an EV may move along the exterior surface 132, attracted to the guide member by the image charge generated due to the presence of the EV, and also by the effect of the counterelectrode 130 maintained at a relative positive potential.

In general, the dielectric guides of FIGS. 11-16, as well as other dielectric components, can be appropriately doped for limited conductivity to limit or control stray charge, as discussed more fully hereinafter. An EV moving within the guide structure of an RC guide device provides a temporary charge on the guide as noted hereinbefore, and another EV will not enter the immediate high charge region of the guide due to the first EV, but can follow after the charge on the dielectric dissipates after passage of the first EV.

If the groove, or tunnel, used as a guide through or across a dielectric material is too narrow in cross section compared to the size of an EV, the EV passing along the guide may effectively cut into the guide material to widen the path. Once a channel has been bored out by an EV in this manner, no further damage is done to the dielectric material by subsequent EV's propagating along the guide. Typically, a channel of approximately 20 micrometers in lateral dimension will accommodate EV passage without boring by the EV. This is about the lateral dimension of an EV bead chain formed into a ring that can be produced with a given source. The guide groove can be made larger or smaller in cross section to match larger or smaller EV's depending on the circumstances of their production.

Gaseous guides

Any of the guide structures illustrated in FIGS. 11-16 may be utilized either in vacuum or in a selected gaseous environment. However, the use of gas at low pressures in guide members can produce another beneficial effect in the manner of guiding EV's formed into a chain of beads, for example.

In some instances, EV's formed from high powered sources may be composed of beads in a chain configuration. Such a chain group may not propagate well on a particular solid guide surface due to the very tight coupling of the beads in the chain and the disruption that surface irregularities caused in the propagation of the configuration. In a low pressure gas atmosphere, typically in the range starting at about 10⁻³ torr and extending through 10⁻² torr, the EV chain is lifted a relatively short distance from the dielectric surface and no longer interacts in a disruptive fashion with the surface, with the result that transmission efficiency is increased. Then, in general, for a given applied voltage, EV's can be formed with greater separation between cathode and generating anode, and can traverse greater distances between electrodes. Evidence from witness plates appears to indicate that, moving relatively free of a solid surface, a bead chain tends to unravel and propagage generally as a circular ring, lying in a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation. In general, as the gas pressure is increased, the EV may be lifted further from the solid surface. For gas pressures above a few torr, EV's in general move off of the solid surface entirely, and the flat solid surface no longer functions as a guide. However, a guiding effect may still be realized with such higher gas pressure for EV's moving along the interior of a closed guide, such as that illustrated in FIG. 15.

Although a wide variety of gases appear to be useful to produce the lifting effect on EV's and EV configurations, the high atomic number gases such as xenon and mercury perform particularly well. The enhanced guiding action on such EV configurations and single EV's works well on the inside of dielectric guide enclosures such as those illustrated in FIGS. 11-15, and also works well on single plane surfaces.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a guide device constructed to utilize a "cushion" of gas to maintain EV's lifted from the guiding surfaces while yet providing a groove, or trough-like guiding structure. The "gas" guide, shown generally at 136, includes a trough formed from a dielectric block 138, which may, for example, be in the form of a glaze coated, porous ceramic. The dielectric block 138 features a counterelectrode 140 on the bottom of the block, and further has coatings of resistor material 142, described hereinafter in the section entitled "Surface Charge Suppression," along the interior lower portions of the trough, or groove, to resist movement of EV's along the so-coated surface out of the trough provided by the block 138. The guide component 136 is connected to a gas communicating line 144 by means of a fitting 146, and which features an internal passage 148 through which gas selectively communicated to the guide may pass to the bottom of the block 138 from a source (not shown). The bottom of the dielectric block 138 is not glazed at the intersection with the fitting passage 148 so that gas may enter the porous interior of the block. The glaze coating and the resistor material coating 142 are scratched, or cut, along the bottom of the V-shaped trough to permit gas to emerge from the interior of the dielectric block 138. The entire arrangement is enclosed for selective control of the environment, and a vacuum pump system is applied to the enclosure to pump away the gas emerging through the block 138. Thus, gas introduced into the porous block 138 through the fitting 146 emerges along the bottom of the trough, and, in dispersing upwardly throughout the trough, provides a gas pressure gradient. The concentration of the gas thus varies from heavy to light going from the bottom of the trough upwardly. A pointed cathode 150, such as a mercury-wetted copper wire, extends downwardly toward the bottom of the trough at a short distance from the beginning of the resistor coating 142, and may be maintained with the cathode terminal point a short distance above the dielectric material of the trough.

In operation, a negative pulse signal of about 2 kv (or higher if the cathode tip is not sufficiently sharp) may be applied to the cathode 150 while the counterelectrode 140 is maintained at ground potential, that is, relatively positive, to generate EV's at the tip of the cathode well within the depth of the trough formed by the dielectric block 138, where the gas pressure is highest. The EV's propagate along the length of the trough as selected gas is introduced into the trough through the communication line 144, and the EV's lift off in the gas layer just above the bottom of the trough, still attracted to the dielectric block 138 by the image charge, or force, of the dielectric material and the potential of the counterelectrode 140. The wedge-shaped gas pressure gradient provided by the trough contains, or "focuses," the gas cushion effect to help keep the EV's within the confines of the trough. However, a sufficient gradient would be provided even if the trough were replaced with a flat surface having a similar cut in the glaze coating and the resistor material coating 142 so that, and further in view of the image force effect and counterelectrode potential, EV's would be guided along the dielectric block, just generally above the cuts in the coatings. Further, from the foregoing discussions concerning the effect of low gas pressure on EV propagation over dielectric surfaces, it will be appreciated that EV's will lift over such a guide surface with no gradient present in the gas pressure.

(sections omitted for length; the complete text is at the source)

Conclusion

The present invention provides techniques for generating, isolating, manipulating and exploiting EV's, either as individual EV beads or as EV chains. Control of generation and propagation of EV's has extensive applications, some of which have been noted hereinbefore. The propagating EV's themselves are sources of energy, including electromagnetic energy in the RF range available by utilizing an EV RF source, such as illustrated in FIG. 59, or a traveling wave device, such as illustrated in FIG. 50 or 51. The emission of electrons accompanying EV propagation across a dielectric surface, for example, enables the propagating EV's to be treated as a virtual cathode with the use of the EV source of FIG. 58, for example. By appropriate selection of the gating pattern in such an electron source, a variety of applications are available wherever intense electron beams are required, for example. The picoscope described hereinbefore also utilizes electron emission attendant to EV propagation to provide a fast response, miniature oscilloscope for analysis of electrical signals, for example. Similarly, the picopulser of FIG. 52 utilizes the rapid communication of large electric charge to produce fast rise and fall high voltage pulses. Such fast pulses have a variety of uses, including the operation of pure field emission devices, such as the EV generator of FIG. 54.

The ability to produce and selectively manipulate EV's provides a new electrical technology with several very desirable features In general, the components of this technology are extremely small, and operable over a range of applied voltage. As noted, operations carried out with the EV technology are very rapid, and involve the rapid communication of large concentrations of energy in the form of the EV's. The various generators, launchers, guides, separators, selectors and splitters, for example, are analogous to vacuum tubes, transistors and the like of prior art electronic technology, for example.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure of the present invention that the various devices described herein may be combined to fit given applications. A generator from the various generators disclosed herein may be utilized with one or more guide devices to provide the EV's utilized in a picoscope, for example. An EV generator may be combined with guides and one or more splitters and/or one or more switches to provide multiple EV paths which, in the case of the switches, may be selected for EV propagation. An EV generator may be combined with guides and one or more picopulsers to provide pulse outputs at desired locations and, utilizing a variable time delay arm of a splitter such as illustrated in FIG. 33, to provide time variable pulsing. Similarly, any of the energy conversion devices, such as the traveling wave circuits of FIGS. 50 and 51, or the RF source of FIG. 59 or the electron emission source of FIG. 58, may be combined with the various other EV manipulation components such as guides, splitters and switches. It will further be appreciated that EV selectors, separators and launchers may be utilized where appropriate to provide EV's of the desired charge size, launched into a specified guide or other device, and free of plasma discharge contaminants. The electron camera itself is usable in analyses of EV behavior itself, as well as in other analyses, including but not limited to the analyses of time-varying electric fields through the combination with the picoscope, or the multi-dimensional scope arrays illustrated in FIG. 44, for example.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the method steps as well as in the details of the illustrated apparatus may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

The grant carries 151 claims. The eight independent claims are given here; the remaining claims are dependent on them and are at the source.

1. An electronic device comprising a source of charged particles; a solid dielectric body having an elongated groove positioned to be responsive to the charged particles; means for accelerating the charged particles in the elongated groove; a counterelectrode capacitively coupled to the groove and the charged particles; the groove being arranged and the counterelectrode being biased and the charged particles propagating in and being guided by the groove and coupled to the solid dielectric body and the counterelectrode so charged particles applied to the groove by the source during a first interval charge the dielectric to have an effect on charged particles subsequently propagating in and guided by the groove; and output means responsive to the charged particles propagating in the groove for deriving a response dependent on said propagating charged particles.

2. An electronic device comprising a source of charged particles; a solid dielectric surface having a channel positioned to be responsive to and constructed to guide the charged particles of the source; a counter electrode capacitively coupled to the channel; an accelerating electrode positioned to accelerate the charged particles along the channel; means for activating the charged particle source; the charged particle source, the dielectric, the channel, the counter electrode, the accelerating electrode and the means for activating being such that plural discrete contained charged particle bundles derived from the source propagate along the channel while the counter electrode and accelerating electrode biases are constant and the source is activated to a single state.

3. An electronic device comprising a source of charged particles; a cylindrical solid dielectric surface positioned to be response to and constructed to form a channel for guiding charged particles derived from the source; a biased counter electrode coaxial with and capacitively coupled to the channel; a biased accelerating electrode positioned to accelerate the charged particles in the channel; means for activating the charged particle source; the charged particle source, dielectric, cylindrical surface, counter electrode, accelerating electrode and the means for activating being such that plural discrete contained charged particle bundles are derived from the source and propagate along the cylindrical surface while the counter electrode and accelerating electrode biases are constant and the source is activated to a single state.

4. An electronic device comprising a source of charged particles; means for accelerating charged particles emitted by the source; means for guiding the charged particles through a passageway, the guiding means including a metal structure through which the passageway extends, the metal structure including reactances which are charged in response to the charged particles propagating through the passageway to control the propagation of the charged particles in the passageway; the means for guiding, the source and the means for accelerating interacting such that plural discrete contained charged particle bundles derived from the source propagate in the passageway while the source, metal structure and accelerating means have constant relative bias.

5. In combination, an envelope having a solid dielectric interior wall and an inert gas therein, said envelope being divided into first and second chambers connected in fluid flow relation with each other by a neck in the dielectric interior wall, the pressure in the second chamber and the neck causing the second chamber to be at a lower pressure than the first chamber, first and second electrodes outside the wall respectively capacitively coupled to regions of the first and second chambers remote from the neck through the dielectric wall, a third electrode outside of the wall capacitively coupled to the neck through the dielectric wall, a voltage being applied between the first and third electrodes to provide a discharge in the first chamber between the first and third electrodes, a voltage being applied between the first and second electrodes to cause charged particles in the discharge to be accelerated through the neck and the second chamber to the second electrode.

6. A pulse generator comprising a charged particle emitting electrode having a pointed end wetted with electrically conducting liquid, a solid dielectric member having a tip with a pointed opening downstream of the pointed end, an accelerating electrode on an exterior wall of the dielectric member removed from the opening in the pointed tip, the accelerating electrode being at a voltage relative to the source and positioned so that charged particles emitted by the charged particle emitting electrode selectively propagate to the accelerating electrode via a path (a) through the opening and (b) that is reversed in direction after the charged particles pass through the opening, an extractor electrode positioned downstream of the opening and at a higher potential than the accelerating electrode so that only certain of the charged particles emitted by the emitting electrode are incident thereon and others of the charged particles emitted by the emitting electrode are incident on the accelerating electrode, and an output electrode capacitively coupled with the extractor electrode for deriving pulses in response to the charged particles being incident on the extractor electrode.

7. In combination, a charged particle emitting electrode having a pointed end, a solid dielectric member having a pointed tip with an opening downstream of the pointed end, a first electrode of an exterior wall of the dielectric member removed from the pointed opening, the first electrode being at a voltage relative to the source and positioned so that charged particles emitted by the charged particle emitting electrode selectively propagate to the first electrode via a path (a) through the opening and (b) that is reversed in direction after the charged particles pass through the opening, a second electrode downstream of the opening, the second electrode being positioned and being at a higher potential than the first electrode so that only certain of the charged particles emitted by the emitting electrode are incident thereon and others of the charged particles emitted by the emitting electrode are incident on the first electrode.

8. An electronic device comprising a source of charged particles; a solid dielectric body having an elongated groove positioned to be responsive to the charged particles; means for accelerating the charged particles in the elongated groove; a counterelectrode capacitively coupled to the groove and the charged particles; the groove being arranged and the counterelectrode being biased and the charged particles propagating in and being guided by the groove and coupled to the solid dielectric body and the counterelectrode so charged particles applied to the groove by the source are in a discrete contained bundle during a first interval, the charged particles in the bundle charging the dielectric to have an effect on charged particles subsequently propagating in and guided by the groove; and output means responsive to the charged particles propagating in the groove for deriving a response dependent on said propagating charged particles.