What's MIRRORCLE 2

Theory

MIRRORCLE is the world’s smallest tabletop synchrotron. This is really a low energy storage ring that emits far infrared synchrotron radiation, but x-rays are generated by a target placed in the electron orbit as seen in Fig. All electron approaches the target again in the next collision, resulting to a high energy transfer rate in MIRRORCLE. Small emission point have a important roll for fine resolution.

Microtron Operation

The elegance of MIRRORCLE technology lies in its conceptual simplicity. The emission and acceleration of electrons in the microtron is not unusual by any means. A typical emitter releases electrons under the influence of a strong electric field inside an RF cavity driven by a pulse klystron. The constant magnetic field environment of the microtron causes the electrons to circulate in ever larger orbits as they repeatedly pass through the RF cavity and are accelerated. Once the electrons reach the design level of the microtron, which of course corresponds to the largest orbit made by the electrons, they enter an extraction channel and are injected into the storage ring.

Strage Ring Operation

The MIRRORCLE technology storage ring employs unique proprietary technology to solve the challenges of a small diameter storage ring. The storage ring uses conventional electromagnets to create a magnetic field over the entire circumference of the electron orbit, thus the electron orbit is a perfect circle. The magnetic field provides a focusing action which promotes an ideal orbit.

Unlike a conventional synchrotron where beam life is measured in hours or days, electrons in the storage ring have a comparatively brief existence. This however, is really not an applicable parameter as it would be in a conventional synchrotron as the microtron is continuously injecting electrons into the storage ring. It can be said that the storage ring is continuously being "topped up".

Perhaps most significantly is the use of a device called a perturbator in the storage ring to help corral electrons into a stable circular orbit. Essentially the perturbator temporarily modifies the magnetic field of a small arc of the electron orbit so that it is possible to accept injected electrons. Perturbator design allows for the modification of electron orbits towards the ideal while not interfering with existing electrons in the ideal orbit. The perturbator shapes the trajectory so that the incoming electrons can ultimately assume a stable circular orbit.




The storage ring also has an RF cavity that provides remedial energy to electrons so that they maintain their design level energy while circulating. The microtron injection process, perturbator operation, and the RF cavity are all carefully synchronized for the effective operation of the storage ring. Ultimately the storage ring forms a disc of circulating electrons in a stable envelope.

Electron beam profiled observed by thermograph duaring beam injection.Click next figure to open mpeg file.


(MPEG file)

Broad beam profile appears when perturbate applied. Due to radiation damping beam size shrinks in 15msec when rf voltage applied on accelerator cavity. By the succssing beam injection we see a very stable beam position and profile. The beam size become a couple of milimater by the radiation damping.

MIRRORCLE hard X-ray output

MIRRORCLE provides high brilliance x-rays by positioning a micrometer sized target in the electron orbit. The resulting collisions generate Bremsstrahlung X-rays. Electrons penetrating the target can continue to circulate in the ring and have the opportunity to collide with the target again, resulting in a high energy conversion rate for MIRRORCLE.


Using a conventional synchrotron where the electron trajectory is bent by a magnetic field, the required beam energy is close to 8 GeV to generate the equivalent hard X-ray components when compared to MIRRORCLE. Further, the ring size of a conventional synchrotron is invariably large. In comparison, the trajectory of electron beam in MIRRORCLE is altered by the nuclear force of the target atoms. Thus, lower energy electrons can be used as energy source for hard x-ray generation. In addition, the X-ray source size can be smaller than SR.

A LINAC can also generate hard X-rays, but a large target size is required for useful X-ray output. However, large targets have inherent multi-scattering properties which results in increasing the radiation angle and a reduction in brilliance.


While it is true an X-ray tube can used with ease in any laboratory, it offers significantly less performance than MIRRORCLE.

• 1.The light source is large resulting in poor spatial resolution.
• 2.X-rays radiates in all direction resulting in low brilliance.
• 3.X-ray energy is low resulting in limited transmission capability.
• 4.Limited magnified X-ray imaging capability.

MIRRORCLE Far Infra-red Radiation (FIR) Generator

PhSR (Photon Storage Ring): Some MIRRORCLE product configurations include a Photon Storage Ring (PhSR). This is an extremely accurate barrel shaped mirror with a reflective inside surface that surrounds the electron orbit.

The PhSR collects synchrotron radiation over the entire perimeter of the electron orbit and a slot in the mirror allows for the collected radiation to escape. A specially shaped secondary mirror channels the radiation from the slot to other mirrors which direct the radiation to the output port on the storage ring.

A key characteristic of the Photon Storage Ring is the reflecting of collected radiation back into the orbiting electrons. This configuration, under certain circumstances, induces lasing and significantly boosts FIR output by orders of magnitude.

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