Laser tube exciter or gas ioniser - has side electrode chambers with controlled aperture sizes built onto main tube

摘要

The device uses an accelerator electron tube, or electron gun source, to stimulate or ionise hypersonic speed gas flowing through the tube. Alternatives use electron guns to stimulate the gas flow and using electrodes for a glow discharge. The exciter unit comprises a chamber (16,17) built onto the side (18,19) of the through laser tube (5). The built on chamber (16,17) houses the physically opposed exciter plate electrodes (10,11) between which the electrical field is set up. The gas is injected (2) into a pressure chamber (1) and then through a jet (3) into the tube. The stimulation frequency is determined by the size of aperture (20,21) chosen for the connection between exciter chambers (16,17) and the through tube (5). In practice the aperture is the same area as that of the electrode plates (10,11).