The Diamond Electrons

Diamond accelerates electrons to high energies, then uses the electromagnetic radiation given off for scientific research. Sometimes people ask where the electrons come from in the first place.

The world is short of some things, but there are plenty of electrons around. The only challenge is making them easily available to be accelerated, and this is not one of the difficult challenges for Diamond.

The Electron Gun

The electrons come from a particular piece of metal inside the electron gun. This is contained in a vacuum and heated, giving the naturally-present electrons additional energy that makes them more inclined to escape from the surface.

The gun is also maintained at a negative voltage, so that when (negatively-charged) electrons escape they naturally drift towards a positive terminal. From here they are captured in the electric fields that direct them down the linac and into Diamond.