Abstract: An x-ray apparatus and method for irradiating products, e.g. food, includes a hot electron plasma annulus confined by a simple magnetic mirror. The device includes a chamber for confining a gas, heated by microwave energy. The chamber has a central cylindrical opening into which the product is placed or conveyed through to receive x-rays radiating from the chamber. A number of chambers may be arranged coaxially in series to increase product throughput or arranged in an array to irradiate larger products.

Abstract: An x-ray apparatus and method for irradiating products, e.g. food, includes a hot electron plasma annulus confined by a simple magnetic mirror. The device includes a chamber for confining a gas, heated by microwave energy. The chamber has a central cylindrical opening into which the product is placed or conveyed through to receive x-rays radiating from the chamber. A number of chambers may be arranged coaxially in series to increase product throughput or arranged in an array to irradiate larger products.

Abstract: A method and apparatus senses the deviation of a neutral particle beam from a predetermined direction. The neutral particle beam is derived from a composite particle beam having residual charged particles with substantially the same directional characteristics as the neutral particles making up the neutral particle beam. A deflection magnet deflects at least a portion of the charged particles from the composite particle beam a known amount toward a detector array including apertures for forming a plurality of charged particle beamlets. Deviation of the charged particle beamlet is determined as an indication of the direction of the neutral particle beam relative to the predetermined direction.A similar measurement of neutral particles around the periphery of the neutral beam provides deviation data of the neutral beam which, when correlated with the data of the charged particle beam, provide an instantaneous transfer characteristic of the magnetic deflection system.

Abstract: An x-ray burst generator confines a hot plasma ring in an ELMO magnetic mirror configuration. A high Z target, such as tungsten, is retained adjacent to, but outside of the hot plasma ring. A short duration pulse is applied to the confining field so that the plasma ring is completely intersected by the target in a time short compared with the time t for an electron to precess once around the ring. The target then intercepts the circulating electrons which generate a burst of x-rays as they strike the target. The burst duration is then approximately t.