Bnnt, LLC

Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc.

Triseka, Inc.

George R Neil

R Roy Whitney

David R Douglas

Henry P Freund

Gwyn P Williams

Hongxiu Liu

Orbital debris removal (ODR) systems under the present approach may use a ground- or surface-based FEL and mirror system with sufficient power and both spatial and temporal resolution to both locate Category II OD (1 cm to 10 cm diameter) in low Earth orbit (LEO, 160 to 2000 km altitude) and remove these objects from orbit. Locating the Category II OD is performed by having the light beam from an FEL and its beam director scan a volume of space of interest and then observing the light reflected from the OD. Removing the OD may include heating the OD to a sufficiently high temperature to evaporate the OD, changing the orbit of the OD such as to lower the perigee, or both. Megawatt-class MOPA FELs for, inter alia, removing OD, are described.

Free electron laser orbital debris removal system

A light source for high power coherent light can include multiparticle relativistic bunches of electrons generating high intensity propagating fields. Coherent emission between electrons may also be utilized. The source may be independent of any medium or media to remove all constraints on the wavelength of the light emitted. And at least a portion of a single alternating magnetic field for accelerating the electron bunches can be included. The color or wavelength of the produced light can be determined solely by the parameters of the electron bunches and the alternating field. The source can be used for imaging, such as medical imaging or for security, including concealed weapons, and for quality control.

Light source for high power coherent light, imaging system, and method of using relativistic electrons for imaging and treatment

A focused optical is been used to introduce an optical pulse, or electromagnetic wave, colinearly with the electron beam in a free electron laser or synchrotron thereby adding an axial field component that accelerates the electrons on the radial outside of the distribution of electrons in the electron beam. This invention consists of using the axial electrical component of a TEM.sub.10 mode Gaussian beam in vacuum to condition the electron beam and speed up the outer electrons in the beam. The conditioning beam should possess about the same diameter as the electron beam. The beam waist of the conditioning wave must be located around the entrance of the undulator longitudinally to have a net energy exchange between the electrons in the outer part of the distribution and the conditioning wave owing to the natural divergence of a Gaussian beam. By accelerating the outer electrons, the outer and core electrons are caused to stay in phase. This increases the fraction of the electron beam energy that is converted to light thereby improving the efficiency of conversion of energy to light and therefore boosting the power output of the free electron laser and synchrotron.

Beam conditioner for free electron lasers and synchrotrons

A focused optical beam is used to change the path length of the core electrons in electron light sources thereby boosting their efficiency of conversion of electron beam energy to light. Both coherent light in the free electron laser and incoherent light in the synchrotron is boosted by this technique. By changing the path length of the core electrons by the proper amount, the core electrons are caused to stay in phase with the electrons in the outer distribution of the electron beam. This increases the fraction of the electron beam energy that is converted to light thereby improving the efficiency of conversion of energy to light and therefore boosting the power output of the free electron laser and synchrotron.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsburg, VA, United States of America

George R Neil