A neutron-capture therapy system includes a charged particle beam generation unit, a beam transmission unit and a neutron beam generation unit. The charged particle beam generation unit includes an ion source and an accelerator. The accelerator accelerates charged particles generated by the ion source, so as to obtain a charged particle beam of the required energy. The neutron beam generation unit includes a target, a beam shaping body and a collimator. The charged particle beam irradiates onto the target through the beam transmission unit to generate neutrons, which sequentially pass through the beam shaping body and the collimator to form a neutron beam for therapy. The neutron-capture therapy system is accommodated in a concrete building including an irradiation room, an accelerator chamber and a beam transmission chamber. The neutron beam generation unit is at least partially accommodated in a partition wall of the irradiation chamber and the beam transmission chamber.

A matchless plasma source is described. The matchless plasma source includes a controller that is coupled to a direct current (DC) voltage source of an agile DC rail to control a shape of an amplified square waveform that is generated at an output of a half-bridge transistor circuit. The matchless plasma source further includes the half-bridge transistor circuit used to generate the amplified square waveform to power an electrode, such as an antenna, of a plasma chamber. The matchless plasma source also includes a reactive circuit between the half-bridge transistor circuit and the electrode. The reactive circuit has a high-quality factor to negate a reactance of the electrode. There is no radio frequency (RF) match and an RF cable that couples the matchless plasma source to the electrode.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma generation device of the present invention includes heat sinks. Flow paths are formed in the heat sinks, and cooling gas flows in the flow paths, thereby cooling lower housing in which a reaction chamber is formed. Here, the gas used for cooling is warmed by the heat of the lower housing. The warmed gas is supplied into heated gas supply device and heated by heater. The heated gas flows in lower cover and is emitted together with plasma gas from lower cover toward a processing object. Consequently, it is possible to perform cooling of the lower housing heated by electric discharge and perform heating of the processing object, and it is possible to reduce energy required for heating gas.

A cathode for a plasma gun includes a main body having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a protrusion. A method of using the cathode includes mounting the cathode inside a plasma gun and generating an arc discharge via the protrusion.

Apparatus (1) for generating neutrons comprising a hollow casing (2) having a central axis (A) and configured for rotating about said central axis (A), said hollow casing (A) comprising a wall (3) having a central region (3a), substantially at the central axis (A) and a peripheral region (3b) external to said central region (3a), said wall (3) defining a cavity (4), said cavity (4) being configured for containing a first coolant fluid; an active layer (6) positioned at least partially on said peripheral region (3b) externally to said cavity (4), said active layer (6) being configured for realizing a neutron-generating reaction; at least a particle accelerator (7) configured for directing a ion beam on said active layer (6) for activating said reaction; movement means (8) configured for rotating said hollow casing (2) about said central axis (A) forcing said first coolant fluid to lightly touch internally said wall (3) at said active layer (6) for cooling said hollow casing (2); external cooling means (9) configured for externally cooling the hollow casing (2), said external cooling means (9) comprising a second coolant fluid lightly touching externally at least partially said wall (3). Said hollow casing (2) is sealed with respect to an external environment for retaining said first coolant fluid inside said cavity (4).

A dielectric barrier discharge plasma generator includes a ground electrode and a high voltage electrode which are configured to form a circuit to receive a power input for plasma generation, a dielectric barrier having a first surface attached to the high voltage electrode, and a second surface facing the ground electrode, and discharge gap being formed between the second surface of the dielectric barrier and the ground electrode for plasma generation, and a resiliently deformable mechanism operative to bias the high voltage electrode against the first surface of the dielectric barrier.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma generation device 10 of the present invention includes heat sinks 27 and 28. Flow paths are formed in the heat sinks, and cooling gas flows in the flow paths, thereby cooling lower housing 20 in which a reaction chamber is formed. Here, the gas used for cooling is warmed by the heat of the lower housing. The warmed gas is supplied into heated gas supply device 14 and heated by heater 112. The heated gas flows in lower cover 22 and is emitted together with plasma gas from lower cover 22 toward a processing object. Consequently, it is possible to perform cooling of the lower housing heated by electric discharge and perform heating of the processing object, and it is possible to reduce energy required for heating gas.

A plasma generation device includes a plasma head configured to eject plasma gas that is plasmatized, a gas supply device configured to supply gas serving as the plasma gas to the plasma head, a pair of electrodes that is provided in the plasma head, the pair of electrodes being configured to perform discharging for a part of the gas supplied from the gas supply device to generate the plasma gas, a temperature sensor that is provided in the plasma head, the temperature sensor being configured to measure a temperature of the plasma head; and a control device, in which the control device executes a cooling process of cooling the plasma head by causing the gas supply device to continue supply of the gas until the temperature sensor measures a temperature equal to or less than a predetermined value after the discharging of the pair of electrodes is stopped.

Apparatuses and methods for accelerating electrons including an electron source configured to provide a beam of electrons and an accelerator utilize electron cyclotron resonance acceleration (eCRA). The accelerator includes a radio frequency (RF) cavity having a longitudinal axis, one or more inlets, and one or more outlets and an electro-magnet substantially surrounding at least a portion of the cavity and configured to produce an axial magnetic field. At least one pair of waveguides couple the cavity to an RF source configured to generate an RF wave. The RF wave is a superposition of two orthogonal TE.sub.111 transverse electric modes excited in quadrature to produce an azimuthally rotating standing-wave mode configured to accelerate the beam of electrons axially entering the cavity with non-linear cyclotron resonance acceleration.

A plasma cutting system includes a plasma cutting power supply configured to provide cutting current to a torch. A controllable gas valve regulates at least one of a flow rate and a pressure supplied to the torch. A controller is operatively connected to the power supply to control a current level, and to the gas valve to adjust a valve position. The controller is configured to receive real-time torch position information from a motion control system that controls positioning of the torch. The position information includes torch positions along a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. The controller is configured to calculate respective derivatives from the torch positions along the first and second axes, and a real-time velocity magnitude of the torch from the respective derivatives, and adjust the current level and the valve position based on the calculated real-time velocity magnitude.