JPH0780050A - Soft x-ray treatment and device used for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the control of an irradiation quantity and to enable sterilization and freeding improvement of plants without contamination of materials to be treated or ambient environment by forming low-energy X-rays from the high-energy electron beams obtd. by generating plasma in a zone segmented by a Miller magnetic field generating section and irradiating a work with these X-rays via an X-ray permeable partition wall. CONSTITUTION:Electromagnets 3, 4, 5 are disposed at equal intervals at the proper points on the circumference of double cylindrical bodies constituting of an outside cylinder 1 formed of a nonmagnetic metallic material and an inside cylinder 2 formed of an X-ray permeable material. The outside cylinder 1 is provided with a microwave supplying port 6, a gas introducing port 7 for forming plasma and a vacuum suction port 8. Magnetic lines a, a', b, b' of magnetic force are generated by the electromagnets 3, 4, 5 and the gas for forming plasma is supplied from the gas introducing cylinder 7 into the outside cylinder 1 and is maintained under about 10<-4> to 10<-6> Torr. Electron cyclotron resonance plasma is formed within the outside cylinder 1 when microwaves are supplied from the microwave supplying port 6. An irradiation treatment chamber 9 is then irradiated with the low-energy X-rays generated therefrom through the inside cylinder wall.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a soft X-ray treatment method useful for sterilizing various articles and improving plant varieties, and a soft X-ray irradiation apparatus for use in the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to sterilize various articles, it is necessary to form conditions that prevent the survival of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, and the means therefor are largely physical and chemical. Be separated.

As a physical means, there have been known a method of altering a protein by heating, a method of destroying a living tissue by applying pressure, a method of irradiating high energy radiation to change a gene, and the like. As a chemical means, there is known a method of deteriorating a living tissue or disturbing an in-vivo reaction with a chemical agent such as a bactericide or a disinfectant.

By the way, the above-mentioned method of irradiating high-energy radiation can be easily carried out without adversely affecting the object to be treated and without causing any pollution, if appropriate energy is selected. As a result, it is being put to practical use in various fields. Although various radiation sources are used in this method, when X-rays are used, low-energy radiation cannot be generated, so control is performed so that aftereffects are not left when sterilizing fish and vegetables. Moreover, when using a nuclear reactor or a radioisotope, its electromagnetic radiation energy exists mainly in the γ-ray region, and therefore cannot be used as a low energy radiation source.

On the other hand, as methods for improving plant varieties, irradiation and treatment with chemicals such as plant growth hormone are carried out. However, these methods are difficult to control, and reproducibility is reproducible. Because it cannot, it contains many problems that must be solved in practice.

[0006]

Under the circumstances, the present invention makes it easy to control the irradiation amount, and sterilizes and improves the variety of plants without contamination of the object to be treated or the surrounding environment. The present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a soft X-ray processing method capable of performing the irradiation and an irradiation apparatus suitably used for the method.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present inventor can kill a living body by using it in a large amount by exciting or cleaving a part of a macromolecular substance or gene that participates in various changes in the living body. As a result of intensive studies on a method of generating low-energy X-rays that can be mutated by using an appropriate amount to improve varieties, it was found that the soft energy Found that the purpose can be achieved by using X-rays,
The present invention has been completed based on this finding.

That is, according to the present invention, low-energy X-rays are generated from high-energy electrons obtained by generating plasma in a zone delimited by the mirror magnetic field generator, and the low-energy X-rays are generated through the X-ray transparent partition wall. The present invention provides a soft X-ray processing method, which comprises irradiating an object to be processed.

According to this method, for example, the inner cylindrical portion of the double cylindrical body having at least the inner wall made of a non-magnetic metal material is formed in the object storage chamber, and the outer cylindrical portion is provided with a microwave supply port and plasma. A gas inlet and a vacuum suction port are provided, and at least two magnets are arranged outside the heavy cylindrical body,
This is advantageously done by using a soft X-ray irradiator characterized in that a mirror magnetic field is created.

Next, the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a magnetic force line diagram for explaining the principle of the method of the present invention, in which the magnetic force lines a, a ', b, b'are X and X'.
It is focused in place and forms a magnetic field, the so-called mirror field, as shown here. The part indicated by the dotted line of Y and Y'is a resonance region, and when an electron is introduced into this, the electron is entangled with the magnetic force line and moves in a spiral shape with respect to the magnetic force line,
Electrons having a large motion component in the direction perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force are reflected at Z and Z'where the magnetic field is strong and trapped in the mirror magnetic field.

By the way, the electrons in the space of the magnetic flux density B tesla rotate clockwise with respect to the direction of the lines of magnetic force at the frequency f = eB / (2πm). Here, e is the electron charge (1.6 × 10 ⁻¹⁹ Coulomb), and m is the electron mass (9 × 10 ⁻³¹ kg). This frequency f is called an electron cyclotron frequency.

Therefore, when a clockwise rotating electromagnetic wave is sent in the mirror magnetic field at the same frequency as the electron cyclotron frequency, the electron receives the resonance energy from the electromagnetic wave, and the quantity of the resonance energy is reflected each time it passes through the resonance region. And gradually forming high-energy electron groups, resulting in soft X
It comes to emit a line. There are two types of radiation mechanism at this time: cyclotron radiation caused by circular motion of electrons, and bremsstrahlung generated by accelerated motion when electrons pass near ions. In these radiative mechanisms, the spectrum of radiant energy is not always single,
It shows a maximum value at a certain position and forms a distribution curve that drops before and after that.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the state,
The maximum radiant intensity is represented by Im with the energy E as the abscissa and the radiant intensity I as the ordinate.

When using a plasma generated when electrons receive resonance energy from an electromagnetic wave and is accelerated, that is, an electron cyclotron resonance plasma, different Em and Im are required depending on the purpose, which is gas pressure and microwave. It can be obtained by adjusting the output appropriately.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an example of the structure of the device of the present invention, which is an outer cylinder 1 made of a non-magnetic metal material such as aluminum or copper, and an X-ray transparent material. For example, it is composed of a double cylindrical body composed of an inner cylinder 2 made of alumina, quartz or the like, and three electromagnets 3, 4, 5 arranged at appropriate intervals around the double cylindrical body. The outer cylinder 1 is provided with a microwave supply port 6, a plasma forming gas introduction port 7 and a vacuum suction port 8. An irradiation processing chamber 9 is formed inside the inner cylinder.

In the apparatus having such a structure, when electric power is applied to the electromagnets 3, 4, 5 to form a magnetic field, a,
Magnetic field lines are generated as indicated by a ', b, b', etc. The dotted line shows the resonance region Rz.

Next, a plasma forming gas such as argon is supplied to the outer cylinder from the gas inlet 7 to supply 10 ^-4 to 10 ^-6.
When the microwave is supplied from the microwave supply port 6 while maintaining the pressure at Torr, electron cyclotron resonance plasma is formed inside the outer cylinder 1, and the low energy X-rays generated from the plasma are transmitted through the inner cylinder wall to the irradiation processing chamber 10. Is irradiated.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of the structure of the device of the present invention, wherein 10, 10 'and 11, 11' and 12, 12 'are used instead of the four electromagnets in FIG. And 13,
Four pairs of permanent magnets 13 'are arranged to form magnetic force lines in the arrow direction.

The method of the present invention can be advantageously carried out by using such an apparatus, but the strength B of the mirror magnetic field in the method of the present invention is preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.3 tesla, The range of 10 to 100 keV is suitable as the energy of the high-energy electrons present therein. The microwave frequency f is 0.5 to 7 G
Hz range, especially 2.45 used for industrial heating
It is preferable to use GHz.

[0020]

According to the method of the present invention, since it is possible to irradiate the required amount of soft X-rays, it is possible to perform sterilization without impairing the quality of foods, various appliances and the like. It can also be used for plant breeding by appropriately increasing the irradiation dose.

[0021]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples.

EXAMPLE In the structure shown in FIG. 3, an aluminum outer cylinder (diameter 2
50 mm, length 750 mm), quartz inner cylinder (diameter 100)
mm, length 750 mm), an argon gas was introduced into the outer cylinder of the apparatus, the pressure was kept at 8 × 10 ⁻⁵ Torr, and a maximum magnetic field of 6.3 T was generated by an electromagnet. Sterilized. Microwave output 6.45 GHz, about 300 W Irradiated X-ray intensity 10 mSvh ^-1 or more Processing time about 60 minutes

When the miso sterilized in this manner was stored for 10 days with the atmosphere blocked, no mold was found. On the other hand, for comparison, when miso that was not sterilized was stored under the same conditions, generation of mold on the surface was observed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of radiant energy and the intensity of radiation.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of an example of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of another example of the device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Outer Cylinder 2 Inner Cylinder 3, 4, 5 Electromagnet 6 Microwave Supply Port 7 Plasma Forming Gas Inlet 8 Vacuum Suction Port 9 Irradiation Processing Chamber 10, 11, 12, 13 Permanent Magnet

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A low-energy X-ray is generated from high-energy electrons obtained by generating plasma in a zone delimited by a mirror magnetic field generator, and the low-energy X-ray is generated through the X-ray transparent partition wall. And a soft X-ray treatment method. 2. An inner cylinder portion of a double cylinder body having at least an inner wall made of a non-magnetic metal material is formed in the object storage chamber, and a microwave supply port, a plasma gas introduction port and a vacuum are formed in the outer cylinder portion. A soft X-ray irradiator characterized in that a suction port is provided and at least two magnets are arranged outside the double cylindrical body to form a mirror magnetic field.