The Production of High Speed Light Ions Without the Use of High Voltages

Abstract

The study of the nucleus would be greatly facilitated by the development of sources of high speed ions, particularly protons and helium ions, having kinetic energies in excess of 1,000,000 volt-electrons; for it appears that such swiftly moving particles are best suited to the task of nuclear excitation. The straightforward method of accelerating ions through the requisite differences of potential presents great experimental difficulties associated with the high electric fields necessarily involved. The present paper reports the development of a method that avoids these difficulties by means of the multiple acceleration of ions to high speeds without the use of high voltages. The method is as follows: Semi-circular hollow plates, not unlike duants of an electrometer, are mounted with their diametral edges adjacent, in a vacuum and in a uniform magnetic field that is normal to the plane of the plates.