Interesting Particle Accelerator

[Jdo300]

Hello All,

I was doing some research on different particle accelerator designs when I came across this interesting patent here:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=FkYxAAAAEBAJ&dq=3935503

They claim in the patent that the device, using a rotating magnetic field, has the capability of pulling both positive ions and electrons around the toroid in the same direction.

But what I wanted to ask you guys is if the same concept mentioned in this patent can be used to accelerate free electrons in a conductive metal like copper? Or would this work only for a plasma?

Thanks,
Jason O

 

[ZapperZ]

But what I wanted to ask you guys is if the same concept mentioned in this patent can be used to accelerate free electrons in a conductive metal like copper? Or would this work only for a plasma?

Thanks,
Jason O

Er.. no, simply because "free electrons" in a metals like copper aren't free. Even if you use the simplest Drude model, electrons in the "free electron gas" have a mean free path. If you include a more realistic model beyond the Drude model, then you have to include electron-electron scattering, electron-phonon scattering, and electron-impurity scattering.

Zz.

 

[Jdo300]

Hmmm, interesting. So, taking all these effects into account, does this mean that the rotating field would have absolutely no net effect on the free electrons or just that they would not be able to accelerate in the same way as electrons in a plasma?

If They could be moved or collectively agitated in one direction, that would be enough to cause heating in the wire I would think? Or maybe a small current flow (since normal electric currents only have net electrons drift velocities of mm/s from what little I know about the subject).

- Jason O