microwave ion sources

For the design and construction details of ion guns, necessary for more advanced designs and lower vacuums.
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3l
Posts: 1866
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2001 3:51 pm
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microwave ion sources

Post by 3l »

More than one way to skin a chicken.

I approached ions the same way I've done fusors.
Do all of it.
I had loads of microwave ovens sitting arround....
Yes... I started fiddling with them while I was waiting on Ebay UPS deliveries. I tried the Bell Jar's plasma stuff. It really works. Don't loose couple this stuff please use the conductive epoxy for God's Sake!
Test first then believe!

I've been adapting the microwave plasma generator in the Bell Jar plasma experiments into a pretty safe ion source. I used a 600 watt magnatron as the source. It is coupled to a 2" copper pipe and cemented to the exit emitter of the magnetron. (I'm a chicken when it comes to high power microwave) You simply arrange Helmhotz coils on the test tube and make a feed entrance for deuterium gas at the front of the test tube I simply glued a plastic tube with model cement and used a fine tube for D2 gas input into a hole I drilled into the test tube. To extract the beam glue an extraction electrode in with ceramic cement.
With a simple drilled baffle plate made out of steel the ions exit the holes while the microwave stay in....I simply copied the hole spacing on the front of the microwave oven. ( I hate scrapping off paint ) If you were really cheap just cut it out of a microwave oven door screen. The really lazy approach is to just drill a test tube size hole in the door the cover it with a microwave shield. The vacuum inside the ion generator is pumped externally without too much danger or problems of interfacing simply goes into the vacuum chamber of the fusor. I'm still playing with it..... I will release details as I have them. Microwave power without the design hassle of turning it loose in your fusor. I was gonna announce it a month from now...but Phil has broken the ice on the gun issue.
I will post pictures as soon as I get my new camera out of layaway.

Fusion is fun!
Larry Leins
Fusion Tech
daniele
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri May 31, 2002 3:00 am
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Re: microwave ion sources

Post by daniele »

Very nice Larry,
I'm interested in seing microwave excited fusors...

I'll wait to see your results, I was in effect wondering
if a magnetron would be of any use to boost fusor reactions.


ciao
Daniel
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