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Nanotube Emission sources for X-ray Tubes

S. Bellucci (Resp.)

C. Balasubramanian, P. Borin, M. Bottini, G. De Bellis, G. Di Paolo, G. Giannini, A. Marcelli, F. Micciulla, R. Pastore, A. PetrucciN. Pugno, M. Regi, I. Sacco, A. Tiberia

X-Ray radiation is widely used in medical and industrial applications. A new approach to generate X-rays is based on using carbon nanotube field emitters as a source of electrons. Field emission X-ray tubes based upon this technology can produce sufficient radiation intensity for imaging applications, and for the realization of portable and miniaturized X-ray sources for industrial and medical applications. There are many advantages in this new technology, such as a fast response time, a drastic reduction in the size of X-ray device and an increase in its lifetime and in the focal spot characteristics (highly fine spot). The possibility of programming the electron and X-ray intensity distribution insuch a device could produce not only continuous, but also pulsed photon radiation with a programmable wave form and repetition rate.