A 100-Million Volt Induction Electron Accelerator

Abstract

The plan and construction of a device capable of accelerating electrons to energies as high as 100 million electron volts are described together with the special building to house it. A more detailed description of the device and its construction will appear in the General Electric Review. The accelerator has a pole face 76 inches in diameter, weighs 130 tons, and operates on 60-cycle current requiring at full load 200 kilowatts. The machine is air cooled and is capable of continuous operation at full voltage. The toroidal glass vacuum tube of oval section has an external diameter of 74 inches and consists of 16 sectors cemented together. At 100 million volts the x-ray output, measured in a thick-walled (¼ inch lead) ionization chamber, is 2600 Roentgens per minute at one meter target-thimble distance and the half-value width of the x-ray beam is 2.0 degrees. The penetrating power of the x-rays in iron at various voltages has been measured and the radiographic possibilities studied.