WAVEGUIDE for X-RAYS?

Can X-RAYS be canaled and contained using waveguides, any examples?

Reply to
Dennis Mchenney
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Reply to
Dennis Mchenney

The dimensions of a waveguide are determined by the wavelength of the signal. For predictable operation, the smaller dimension of a rectangular guide is beyond cutoff (i.e. less than half a wavelength), and the larger dimension about twice that. Only one mode can exist in a waveguide so built. The modes in circular guides become complex after long runs, so they are mostly used in short sections near rotary joints.

Waveguides for X-rays would be exceedingly small. I wonder if their existence is consistent with atomic spacing in ordinary materials. I can imagine you thinking "This guy's full of it: what about light pipes?" Light pipes, light guides, what have you, are analogous to what radar and broadcast people call waveguides, but they are not the same. In general, they support many modes simultaneously (and so have even worse dispersion) or employ other means of become unimodal.

Waveguides and light guides work by a the wave zig-zagging from boundary as it proceeds down the length of the guide. X-rays tend to penetrate material, rather than be reflected. Reflectivity increases, however, as the angle of incidence approaches 90 degrees.

Lenses to focus X-rays are made in many ways. One way uses concentric shaped baffles that rely on low-angle reflection, another is basically similar, but uses polycapillary channels. Both of those can be seen as X-ray guides of a sort, so it can be done. I believe that the transport efficiency is low, however, which would mean the the leakage is high.

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Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Avins

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