IL303242A

IL303242A - Circular particle accelerator

Info

Publication number: IL303242A
Application number: IL303242A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Adam’S Systems Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2023-05-28
Filing date: 2023-05-28
Publication date: 2024-12-01
Also published as: WO2024246890A2

Description

CYCLIC PARTICLE ACCELERATOR TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to ring particle accelerators usable for generation of synchrotron radiation and/or matter-antimatter pairs.

BACKGROUND ART References considered to be relevant as background to the presently disclosed subject matter are listed below: [1] R. Brandenberger et al., "Graviton to photon conversion via parametric resonance", Physics of the Dark Universe 40 (2023) 101202. [2] J. Adam et al. (STAR Collaboration) “Measurement of e+ e- Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions”, Phys. Rev. Lett 127, 2021. [3] K. M. Walsh and P. Genzer “Collisions of Light Produce Matter/Antimatter from Pure Energy”, BNL Newsroom, 2021. [4] A. C. Elbeze “On the existence of another source of heat production for the earth and planets, and its connection with gravitomagnetism” SpringerPlus.2013 2, 513. doi: 10.1186/10.1186/2193-1801-2-513 (2013). [5] Sagnac, Georges (1913). "On the proof of the reality of the luminiferous aether by the experiment with a rotating interferometer", Comptes Rendus, 157: 1410–1413. [6] Albert Einstein 1907 "Über das Relativitätsprinzip und die aus demselben gezogenen Folgerungen", Jahrbuch der Radioaktivität und Elektronik, 4, 411-462.

BACKGROUND This section intends to provide background information concerning the present application, which is not necessarily prior art. Particle accelerators utilize electric fields to accelerate packets of electrically charged particles (e.g., electrons, protons, and/or their antiparticles) produced by suitable particle sources (e.g., electron guns, plasmatrons, duoplasmatron, or suchlike) through restricted vacuum volumes, and magnetic fields to focus and axially spread the particle packets so as to shape a particle beam and control its trajectory inside the accelerator. Cavity accelerators are typically used to pass the particles beam through electric fields, which slightly condense them 30 and increases their energy/velocity. Detectors are typically used in various locations of such particles accelerators for approximating the number of accelerated particles and measuring their energy/velocity. In linear accelerators (e.g., LINAC or AWAKE - Advanced WAKEfield Experiment), the particle packets are accelerated and focused within a single axial/linear pass through a sequence of accelerating electric fields and focusing magnetic fields (e.g., using focusing magnetic units). The simplest form of focusing magnet is a quadrupole, wherein two pairs of opposite spaced-apart magnetic poles are arranged to form a cross-like magnet structure that pushes the particles toward the center of the structure, while spreading them in the axial direction. Focusing magnetic units having greater number of magnetic pole pairs (e.g., sextupoles, octupoles) can be similarly used to implement more sophisticated focusing magnetic unit structures. Linear accelerators (also referred to as pre-accelerator) are used to accelerate (e.g., at energies of about 50MeV an more) and direct the beam of particle packets thereby produced into a cyclic/circular accelerator (also referred to as ring accelerator or storage ring), wherein the particle packets are passed many times through accelerating and focusing fields arranged along a circular/annular path/orbit utilizing beam bending/guiding magnet arrangements (e.g., bipolar electromagnets) disposed at curved portions of the particles beam orbit, so as to store the beam of particles in a closed path/loop trajectory. Linear accelerators of the AWAKE type are generally designed to accelerate and direct beam of particles thereby produced to energy levels much higher than can be achieved by the LINAC accelerator (e.g., around 10 GeV), which can be similarly used to accelerate charge particles into a cyclic/circular accelerator for storage and/or acceleration therein. The accumulated energy of the particles accelerated in cyclic/circular accelerators is the result of a plurality of combined applications of the accelerating and focusing fields along the orbit of the cyclic/circular accelerator, that gradually increases the energy of the particles in each cycle, until a desired energy level/velocity in reached (e.g., until the particles reach velocities that are close to the speed of light, generally referred to as relativistic velocities, and the particles at such velocities are often referred to as relativistic particles). Synchrotrons are particle ring accelerators that accelerates particles to nearly the speed of light, to provide high-energy beams of charged particles that emit electromagnetic radiation ranging from infrared to X-rays, as they circulate within the synchrotron. Synchrotron radiation is generally the electromagnetic radiation (high energy photons) generated when charged particles are deflected from an axial linear/straight path into a curved/angular trajectory.

Emission of intense synchrotron radiation is usually obtained by the use of undulators located within the ring accelerators. Such intense synchrotron radiation can be exploited in various applications requiring high energy photon emission, such as X-ray radiation sources usable for X-ray lithography, therapy or microscopy/computed tomography (CT), material science investigating materials properties (electronic structure, magnetic properties, and surface characteristics), high-resolution X-ray imaging, high doses X-rays delivery for cancer treatment. Undulators are designed to apply an alternating magnetic field, usually in the vertical direction (i.e., for causing particles' oscillation in the horizontal plane), so as to periodically deflect the beam of particle packets passed through the alternating magnetic field, causing a sinusoidal trajectory thereof and spontaneous emission of intense synchrotron radiation e.g., in the ultraviolet and/or X-ray radiation ranges. Undulators are usually implemented by series of alternating magnetic dipoles implemented by permanent magnets that produce the alternating magnetic field. Undulators are nowadays essential components of synchrotron radiation systems. It is now understood that heavy ions (e.g., gold, iron, lead…) accelerated to relativistic velocities (very close to the speed of light) generate powerful magnetic fields spiraling about their nucleuses. As the speed of these particles (also referred to as relativistic particles) is increased closer to the speed of light (e.g., to about 0.99995c, where c≈300,000 km/sec is approximately the speed of light through empty space/vacuum), their spiraling magnetic fields cause formation of photons (photon clouds) around their nucleuses. This phenomenon was used recently by scientists at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) to demonstrate the effect postulated by Gregory Breit and John A. Wheeler in 1934 (the Breit-Wheeler effect), that the collisions of very energetic photons will produce matter-antimatter pairs (also known as Breit-Wheeler pair). Particularly, the RHIC's scientists provided definitive evidence that the interaction of the high-energy photon clouds of ultra-relativistic gold ions converts their energies into electron-positron (e-, e+) pair masses [3]. The synchrotron radiation source disclosed in US Patent No. 5,341,104 includes a beam guidance system for accelerating and storing an electron or positron particle beam on a closed trajectory. In order to generate the synchrotron radiation, the beam guidance system has at least one approximately achromatic mirror magnet being formed of superconducting winding configurations and in which the trajectory is bent through approximately 270 DEG. Further components of the beam guidance system, such as deflecting magnets and focusing magnets do not necessarily need to be constructed from superconducting components. The synchrotron radiation source permits the utilization of all of the advantages of superconductors with the most extensive avoidance of the disadvantages associated therewith, since the application of superconducting components can be restricted to the components specifically constructed for the generation of the synchrotron radiation. In Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2297900, an electron accelerated by a preliminary accelerating device, orbits on a closed track through the action of the magnetic field generated by a septum electromagnet, kicker electromagnets, a four-polar electromagnet, and a bi-polar electromagnet. As the electron does not pass an inserted light source during incidence, there is no fear of loss caused by its narrow opening, and accumulation can be made easily. The kicker electromagnets can be used both at the incident and diverging times, to permit constituting a short closed track, which enables stable accumulation of the beam. In German Patent Publication No. DE4101094 an undulating slot of predetermined small width and depth, and also of predetermined small length of the frequency of the undulating lines, is respectively worked, on two sides of a carrying unit standing parallel to each other at a specified distance, by means of a micro-manufacturing process. Both slot courses lie opposite each other congruently and a desired track of a ring accelerator with a straight part, passes between the two at the same distance to the two sides. A superconducting material with a high current carrying ability is introduced in order to produce a strong locally alternating magnetic field along the desired track part, with a magnetic field component vertical to this desired track part, by means of the electric current. The current through the two undulating line shaped conductor arrangements is specifiable, in order to adjust the intensity and the wavelength of a synchroton radiation produced by the traverse of the particle stream. The undulating lines, the conductor arrangements in their projections cyclically cut the desired track part lying between the sides.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION In a broad aspect, the present disclosure provides a cyclic/circular ion accelerator e.g., a ion synchrotron storage ring, having at least two axial/straight sections of its closed ion acceleration path/orbit that substantially coincides with the gravity acceleration direction, and at least two curved sections. Optionally, but not necessarily, the cyclic/circular ion accelerators disclosed herein are configured for the accelerated ions to emit intense synchrotron radiation energy. Thus, cyclic/circular ion accelerator embodiments disclosed herein are sometimes referred to herein as vertical synchrotron storage rings, or vertical storage ring (VSR) for short.

The VSR can be configured to receive and store beam(s) of accelerated ion packets from a pre-accelerator (e.g., LINAC or AWAKE). One or more particle acceleration units e.g., cavity accelerators, are used in the VSR's curved sections, and/or its axial/straight sections, to accelerate the beam(s) of ions circulated in its closed ion acceleration path/orbit. In embodiments hereof the ions are accelerated in the VSR to ultra-relativistic velocities (e.g., in the range of 99.992% to 99.99995% of the speed of light in empty space/vacuum), to provide ultra-relativistic ions having photon clouds surrounding their nucleuses. The photons of the accelerated ions are thus caused to interact with the gravitation field of the planet in the axial/straight and the curved sections of the VSR. When the photons of the relativistic ions interact with the gravity field (i.e., a reaction between the gravitational field of the Earth and the energies of the photons and ions circulating in the VSR), they gain energy when they move in the direction of the gravity field of the planet, and lose energy when they move in a direction opposite (i.e., the opposite direction) to the direction of the gravity field of the planet. This phenomenon is similar to the Sagnac effect [5] (it is easily interpreted by considering the principle of equivalence of Einstein [6]). The sum of the energies thus acquired by the photonic and atomic particles during a complete cycle in the VSR makes it possible to obtain a positive total gain of energy to the advantage of the beam due to the interaction with the gravity field. The energy gained due to the interaction of the photon clouds of the ultra-relativistic ions with the gravity field of the planet thus increases the overall energy of the accelerated ions, thereby providing high energy photons and/or resulting in formation of new photons around the nucleuses of the ultra-relativistic ions. Thus, in embodiments hereof, at least a portion of the energy emitted as synchrotron radiation in the VSR is at least partially an energy gained by the interaction of the photons of the ultra-relativistic ions with the gravity field of the earth. In possible embodiments one or more undulators are introduced into the closed particles acceleration path/orbit of the VSR for generation of intense synchrotron radiation thereby i.e., the one or more undulators can be placed in one or more of the axial/straight sections, and/or in one or more of the curved sections, of the VSR's particles acceleration path/orbit. In some embodiments the VSR is adapted for generation of thermal energy usable for use in thermal energy processing systems. For example, the synchrotron radiation generated by the VSR can be harnessed for the production of electrical energy e.g., using electricity generator/turbine. For example, in possible embodiments the synchrotron radiation is used to heat a heat transfer module configured for heating a fluid medium streamed to an electricity generator/turbine for the production of electrical energy therefrom.

The VSR systems disclosed herein can be modified to circulate in the closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit more two or more beams of packets of ions in same direction and/or in counter-directions. In possible embodiments the VSR is adjusted into a dual vertical synchrotron storage ring accelerator, or dual vertical storage ring (DVSR) for short, configured to store and circulate at least two beams of ultra-relativistic ions circulated thereinside in counter rotating directions. The DVSR can be similarly configured to define at least two axial/straight sections of the DVSR's closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit, through which the at least two ultra-relativistic ion beams pass in counter-axial-directions that substantially coincide with the direction of the gravity acceleration of the planet, and at least two curved sections for the ultra-relativistic ions of the at least two beams to pass in curved counter-angular-directions. The DVSR can be similarly configured to receive beam(s) of ions packets from a pre-accelerator (e.g., LINAC) configured to alternatingly direct the ion packets thereby produced in counter directions into the DVSR's closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit e.g., utilizing two particle bending/guiding units having a mutual particles inlet and bending curved trajectories extending therefrom in opposite directions. This way, the DVSR can be initialized to store the at least two beams of accelerated ion packets having a defined time interval between the packets of ions moving in its closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit in counter directions. The particles accelerator units e.g., cavity accelerators of the DVSR can be accordingly configured to alternatingly inverse the polarities of their ion accelerating electric fields in synchronous with the time interval between the packets of ions having the counter directions in order to simultaneously accelerate the at least two beams of packets of ions of counter-directions to the required ultra-relativistic velocities within a single common closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit. In possible embodiments the DVSR can be configured to receive beam(s) of ions packets form two or more separate/independent pre-accelerators (e.g., LINACs or AWAKEs), configured to direct packets of ions thereby produced in counter directions into the DVSR's closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit. In this specific and non-limiting example, the pre-accelerators are accurately synchronized so as to maintain a defined time interval between the packets of ions moving in the closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit of the DVSR in counter directions. In such embodiments, the particles accelerator units of the DVSR can be accordingly configured to alternatingly inverse the polarities of their ion accelerating electric fields in synchronous with the time interval between the packets of ions having the counter directions in order to simultaneously accelerate the at least two beams of packets of ions of counter-directions to the required ultra-relativistic velocities within a single common closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit. The DVSR can be adapted for generation of matter-antimatter i.e., electrons (e-) and positrons (e+), pairs, by causing interactions/collisions between photons of its counter rotating ultra-relativistic beams of ion packets at one or more portions of the closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit. This is achieved in some embodiments by bending the counter rotating ultra-relativistic beams of ions packets of the DVSR one towards the other, so as to interact/cause collisions between the photon clouds of the counter rotating ultra-relativistic beams of ion packets. For example, in possible embodiments the counter rotating ultra-relativistic beams of ion packets can be bent one towards the other to reduce the gap between them to about one micrometer (1μm or less) to cause the photon interactions/collisions, and thereafter they can be bent back to assume their original gap e.g., of about 0.5 to 1 millimeter. In possible embodiments one or more undulators are introduced into the ion acceleration paths/orbits of the DVSR for generation of intense synchrotron radiation thereby i.e., the one or more undulators can be placed in one or more of the axials/straight sections, and/or in one or more of the curved sections, of the DVSR's ion acceleration paths/orbits. The DVSR can be similarly adapted for generation of thermal energy usable for use in thermal energy processing systems e.g., to harness the generated synchrotron radiation for electrical energy production utilizing electricity generator/turbine. In possible embodiments the DVSR's synchrotron radiation is used to heat a heat transfer module configured for heating a fluid medium streamed to an electricity generator/turbine for electrical energy production. The VSR disclosed herein can be further modified to circulate in its closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit more than two beams of packets of ions (i.e., a multi VSR - MVSR), at least one of which is circulated in a direction that is opposite to the direction of another one of the beams of packets of ions. A plurality of pre-accelerators can be accordingly used to direct a plurality of beams of packets of ions into the closed particles accelerating trajectory/orbit of the MVSR in the gravity's direction and/or its counter-direction, with a defined time interval between the packets of ions moving thereinside in the counter-directions, for properly operating the particles accelerator units to timely inverse the polarities of their ion accelerating electric fields in synchronous with the time interval between the packets of ions of the counter-directions, in order to simultaneously accelerate the plurality of beams of packets of ions of counter-directions to the required ultra-relativistic velocities. One or more undulators can be similarly introduced into the ion acceleration paths/orbits (i.e., in the axial/straight and/or the curved sections) of the MVSR for generation of intense synchrotron radiation by the plurality of beams of ion packets. Additionally, or alternatively, the MVSR can be adapted to cause interactions/collisions between photon clouds of the ultra-relativistic ions moving therein in the counter-directions, as described herein, so as to produce matter-antimatter pairs therein. The matter-antimatter pairs produced by photons collisions can be harnessed for use in thermal energy processing systems and/or electricity production systems. Particularly, in possible embodiments the matter-antimatter pairs are used for generation of electrical energy utilizing thermal and/or non-thermal nuclear energy conversion technologies. For example, electrons (e-) and/or positrons (e+) particles produced by the photon’s collisions can be used to drive thermoelectric converter, and/or a thermionic converter, and/or a thermophotovoltaic converter, and/or a Stirling engine. Optionally, the (e-) matter and/or (e+) antimatter particles produced by the photons collisions are used to generate electrical energy by driving an electrostatic charge converter, and/or a direct-charging generator (e.g., directly charging a capacitive device), and/or an electromechanical converter, and/or a radiovoltaic converter, and/or an alphavoltaic converter, and/or betavoltaic converter, and/or a gammavoltaic converter, and/or a radiophotovoltaic (optoelectric) converter. Accordingly, embodiments disclosed herein are directed to VSR, DVSR and/or MVSR, configured for storage of beam(s) of ultra-relativistic heavy ion (e.g., gold, lead, or any ionized atoms) packets, configured to gain energy due to the interaction of photon clouds formed around nucleuses of the accelerated ions with the gravitation field of the earth. The high energy synchrotron photons emitted by the beam(s) of ultra-relativistic ion packets, and/or the matter-antimatter pairs produced by photons collisions, can be harnessed for generation of electrical energy utilizing conventional techniques known in the art (e.g., using an expansion turbine, a thermoelectric generator, or suchlike). For example, in some embodiments hereof there is provided a heat generation system comprising particle accelerator units for accelerating packets of ions (e.g., gold, lead, uranium, or other metal) in a vertical vacuum tube/column having one or more particle bending magnetic units at the extremities (e.g., upper and lower ends) of the vacuum tube/column, for forcing the accelerated packets of ions into a curved path and causing the emission of the synchrotron radiation. One or more particle accelerating and confining units can be used in axial/straight and/or curved sections of the vacuum tube/column for applying electrical fields for accelerating and/or circulating the packets of ions thereinside. In possible embodiments two or more beams of ion packets are circulated in the vacuum tube/column in counter directions and caused to interact for generation of electron-positrons pairs, which can be also harnessed for electrical/thermal energy processing/production, as disclosed herein. The pre-accelerator (e.g., LINAC) can be used in some embodiments to introduce packets of "+1" or "+2" (or "+n", where 1≤n≤'number of protons of the metallic element used' is an integer number) ions into the cyclic/circular accelerator with a desired initial energy/velocity (e.g., of about 10 to 100 MeV). An initial beam current of the ion packet beam(s) can generally be at least 1 ampere. When the accelerated packet of ions enters the vertical vacuum tube/column from the pre-accelerator system, they are caused by the electric and magnetic fields acting inside the vacuum tube/column to circulate and accelerate there inside to ultra-relativistic velocities, to interact the photon clouds formed around their nucleuses with the gravitation field of the planet, and thereby gain energy. In some embodiments the height of the vertical vacuum tube/column is in a range of to 300 meters. The width of the vertical vacuum tube/column can generally be about 5 to 50 metes. In one aspect there is provided a synchrotron comprising a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside and having one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of ions to a near light speed velocity. In one or more embodiments the synchrotron is configured to define in the closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by the beam bending units at extremity portions of the tube or column, for causing the accelerated ions to interact with the gravity field and thereby gain energy. The synchrotron can be configured for emission of synchrotron radiation at least at its curved sections. At least one undulator can be used in the synchrotron in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein. One or more heat transfer units can be used in the synchrotron to absorb thermal energy generated due to the synchrotron radiation and transfer the thermal energy to thermal energy processing e.g., comprising an electrical energy generator. The heat transfer units can be configured to stream fluid media therethrough for transferring the absorbed thermal energy to the thermal energy processing. The synchrotron is couplable in some embodiments to a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce the pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of the synchrotron. For example, the pre-accelerator can be configured to generate the beam of ions with at least "+1" and/or "+2" ions. Alternatively, the pre-accelerator is configured to generate the beam of ions with "+n" ions, wherein n>2 is an integer number smaller or equal to the number of protons in the ions. The pre-accelerator can be configured to bring the pre-accelerated ions to energy of about 10MeV to 100MeV and/or to a beam current of at least 1A e.g., using a LINAK and/or an AWAKE accelerator. The synchrotron can be configured to receive pre-accelerated ions until at least one microgram thereof are accumulated thereinside. The synchrotron can be configured to accelerate the ions thereby received to an ultra relativistic velocity e.g., to attain an energy level of at least 10TeV. The synchrotron is configured in some embodiments for production of at least 1GW electrical power. In some possible embodiments a height of the tube or column of the synchrotron's is a range of 10 to 300 meters. A width of the tube or column can be in a range of 5 to 50 meters. The synchrotron comprises in some embodiments a vacuum tube inside the tube or column for defining the closed orbit of the electrically charged atoms. Optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, the synchrotron is configure to circulate and accelerate a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside its tube or column. In possible applications at least two of the plurality of ion beams are circulated and accelerated thereinside in counter circulating directions. The synchrotron comprises in some embodiments at least one beams interaction unit configured to cause collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of the at least two of the ion beams circulated and accelerated in the counter circulating directions e.g., for producing thermal and/or electrical energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced in the beams interaction unit due to the photons collisions. In another aspect there is provided an energy storage method comprising: directing a beam of pre-accelerated ions into a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside; accelerating the beam of pre-accelerated ions to a near light speed velocity along a closed orbit configured inside the tube or column to comprise at least two axial/straight sections substantially coinciding with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections obtained by bending the beam of pre-accelerated ions at extremity portions of the tube or column, so as to cause the accelerated beam of ions to interact with the gravity field and thereby gain energy. The method comprisesin some embodiments causing emission of synchrotron radiation by the beam of ions at least at curved sections of the closed orbit. The method can comprise transferring thermal energy generated by synchrotron radiation emitted from the accelerated ions to a thermal energy process e.g., for generating electrical energy therefrom. The transferring of the thermal energy may comprise streaming fluid media for the thermal energy processing. The method comprises in some embodiments pre-accelerating the beam of ions with at least "+1", and/or "+2", and/or "+n" ions, before introducing them into the tube or column. The method can comprise pre-accelerating the beam of ions to energy of about 10MeV to 100MeV and/or a beam current of at least 1A. The method may comprise introducing the pre-accelerated ions until into the tube or column until at least one microgram thereof is accumulated thereinside. In possible embodiments the method comprises circulating and accelerating one or more additional beams of pre-accelerated ions inside the tube or column. The method can comprise accelerating at least one of the beams of the pre-accelerated ions in a circulating direction that is opposite to a circulating direction of at least another one of the beams of the pre-accelerated ions. The method may comprise causing collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of the at least two of the beams of pre-accelerated ion accelerated in the opposite circulating directions e.g., for producing thermal and/or electrical energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced due to the photons' collisions. In yet another aspect there is provided a synchrotron radiator comprising a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside and having one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of ions to a near light speed velocity. The synchrotron radiator is configured in one or more embodiments to define in the closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by the beam bending units at extremity portions of the tube or column, for causing the accelerated ions to interact with the gravity field and thereby gain energy and emit synchrotron radiation. The synchrotron radiator comprises in some embodiments at least one undulator in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein. One or more heat transfer units can be used in the synchrotron radiator to absorb thermal energy generated due to the synchrotron radiation and transfer the thermal energy to thermal energy processing. The synchrotron radiator can be couplable to a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce the pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of the synchrotron. The pre-accelerator can be configured to bring the pre- accelerated ions to energy levels of about 10MeV to 100MeV, and/or to a beam current of at least 1A, and/or to accumulate at least one microgram of particles inside the tube or column. The synchrotron radiator is configured in some embodiments to accelerate the ions thereby received to attain an energy level of at least 10TeV. The synchrotron radiator can be configured for production of at least 1GW of electrical power. In possible embodiments the synchrotron radiator is configure to circulate and accelerate a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside its tube or column. For example, at least two of the plurality of ion beams can be circulated and accelerated thereinside in counter circulating directions. In yet another aspect there is provided a power plant comprising: a synchrotron having a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside, one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of pre-accelerated ions to a near light speed velocity, the synchrotron accelerator configured to define in the closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by the beam bending units at extremity portions of the tube or column, for causing the accelerated ions to interact with the gravity field and thereby gain energy and emit synchrotron radiation; and an electrical power generator coupled to the synchrotron and configured to convert thermal energy produced by the emitted synchrotron radiation into electrical energy. The power plant comprises in some embodiments at least one undulator in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit of the synchrotron for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein. The power plant can comprise a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce the pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of the synchrotron. The power plant is configured in possible embodiments for production of at least 1GW of electrical power. The power plant may be configure to circulate and accelerate a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside the tube or column of the synchrotron and cause collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of at least some of the ion beams for the producing thermal energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced due to the photons collisions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Features shown in the drawings are meant to be illustrative of only some embodiments of the invention, unless otherwise implicitly indicated. In the drawings like reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts, and in which: Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a vertical synchrotron ring accelerator according to some possible embodiments; Fig. 2 shows simulation results of energy losses and ions' energy in a vertical storage ring according to possible embodiments; Fig. 3 is a flowchart schematically illustrating operation of a vertical synchrotron accelerator according to some possible embodiments; Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a control system according to possible embodiments; Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a vertical synchrotron accelerator according to some other possible embodiments; Fig. 6 schematically illustrates a vertical double-beam ring accelerator according to some possible embodiments; Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a photon collision unit according to possible embodiments; and Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a vertical multi-beam ring accelerator according to some possible embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS One or more specific and/or alternative embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, which are to be considered in all aspects as illustrative only and not restrictive in any manner. It shall be apparent to one skilled in the art that these embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features or details of an actual implementation are described at length in the specification. Elements illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, or in correct proportional relationships, which are not critical. Emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention such that persons skilled in the art will be able to make and use it, once they understand the principles of the subject matter disclosed herein. This invention may be provided in other specific forms and embodiments without departing from the essential characteristics described herein. The synchrotron ring accelerators disclosed herein are configured to accelerate heavy metal atom ions, inside a vertically oriented ring accelerator (e.g., synchrotron) having at least two axial/straight sections of its closed particles/atoms path/orbit that substantially coincides with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector i.e., the direction of the velocity vector of the ions is collinear with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g of the earth (15 in Fig. 1), and at least two curved sections of its closed particle orbit configured to bend the ions' beam trajectory e.g., for emission of synchrotron radiation therein. In embodiments the ions are accelerated to ultra-relativistic velocities, to thereby cause formations of photon clouds around the nucleuses of the ultra-relativistic ions, and cause interactions of the photon clouds with the gravity field of the Earth. This way, the ultra-relativistic ions gain energy as their photon clouds interact with the gravity field of the planet, leading to creation of high energy photons (e.g., gamma rays inter alia) and/or formation of new photons around the nucleuses of the ultra-relativistic ions. In possible embodiments portions of the energy of the ultra-relativistic ions can be extracted for thermal processing and/or electricity production, using any of the techniques disclosed herein. This way, motion of the ultra-relativistic ions inside the vertical ring accelerator can be self-regulated, by guaranteeing that the energy portions extracted for thermal processing/energy production are within a range of the energy gained by the ultra-relativistic ions due the interaction of their photon clouds with the gravitation field. More particularly, the acceleration of the ion beams to ultra-relativistic velocities in the vertical ring accelerators disclosed herein forms photon clouds of high-energy photons around the nucleuses of the ultra-relativistic ions, resulting with a powerful electromagnetic field (see, [2] and [3]), which in reaction with the Earth gravitational field (gravitons) (see, [1] and [4]) results in a positive energy balance, gained by the ultra-relativistic ions, after a complete round trip (see, [4]). Energy can be extracted (e.g., by production of synchrotron radiation/heat energy and/or production of matter-antimatter pairs) from the ultra-relativistic ions e.g., for production of electricity, which can be used in return to drive the vertical ring accelerator. In this way, the vertical ring accelerator embodiments disclosed herein can be configured such that energy losses due to synchrotron radiation emission (as well as other losses) are compensated by the energy acquired by the ultra-relativistic ions due to their interaction with the earth's gravitational field. For an overview of several example features, process stages, and principles of the invention, the examples of vertically oriented ring particle accelerators illustrated schematically and diagrammatically in the figures are intended for generation of synchrotron radiation and/or matter-antimatter particles. These vertical ring particle accelerators are shown as one example implementation that demonstrates a number of features, processes, and principles used to provide emission of synchrotron radiation and/or production of matter-antimatter particles, but they are also useful for other applications and can be made in different variations. Therefore, this description will proceed with reference to the shown examples, but with the understanding that the invention recited in the claims below can also be implemented in myriad other ways, once the principles are understood from the descriptions, explanations, and drawings herein. All such variations, as well as any other modifications apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and useful in ring particles acceleration applications may be suitably employed and are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cyclic particle acceleration system 10 according to some possible embodiments. The system 10 comprises a pre-accelerator (e.g., linear accelerator - LINAC) 13 configured to generate a beam 13b of ion packets 13p axially/linearly accelerated to a desired initial energy level/velocity e.g., of about 10MeV to 100MeV, and a vertically oriented storage ring (VSR) accelerator 11 configured to receive the beam 13b of ion packets 13p generated by the pre-accelerator 13, and cyclically accelerate them to ultra-relativistic velocity e.g., about 99.992% to 99.99995% of the speed of light in empty space/vacuum, for the ultra-relativistic ions to gain energy as photon clouds formed around their nucleuses interact with the gravity field of the earth 15. In some embodiments the VSR 11 is configured for generation of synchrotron radiation 14r at curved sections 14c of the ions' orbit. The VSR accelerator 11 can be implemented by an elongated vacuum tube/column (also referred to as reactor) 11t configured to define a particles/atoms circulating orbit (14) having: (i) at least two axial/straight sections 14e coinciding (collinear) with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g, for the photon clouds of the ultra-relativistic ions to interact with the gravitation field of the planet 15; and (ii) at least two curved sections 14c configured to magnetically bend the ultra-relativistic ion for the emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r therein. The ions' circulation orbit/path (14) defined by the VSR accelerator 11 illustrated in Fig. 1 is configured with two axial/straight particle/atom motion sections 14e extending along elongated lengths of the VSR accelerator 11 and coinciding (collinear) with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g, and two curved particles/atoms motion sections 14c arranged at top and bottom ends/extremities of the VSR accelerator 11. As seen, each of the ends/extremities of vertical VSR accelerator 11 comprises one or more particle bending units 11m configured to bend the axial/straight path of the ions 14 received from the axial/straight section 14e of the particles' orbit into a partially circular particle motion trajectory of the curved section 14c of the particles/atoms' orbit, for the emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r therein. It is however noted that in possible embodiments the particles/atoms' orbit (14) inside the VSR accelerator 11 can be configured with a greater number of the axial/straight particles/atoms motion sections 14e and/or of the curved particles/atoms motion sections 14c. The VSR accelerator 11 further comprises one or more particle/atom accelerating units (e.g., accelerating cavities) 11e configured to pass the beam 14 of particles/atoms through an accelerating electric field for cyclically increasing the velocity/kinetic energy of the ions 13p, and one or more beam focusing units (e.g., quadrupoles, sextupoles, octupoles, or suchlike) 11c configured to focus and axially spread the ions of the beam 14. While the beam focusing units 11c can be placed in the axial/straight sections 14e and/or in the curved sections 14e of the particles/atoms' orbit (14) inside the vertical ring accelerator 11, the particle accelerating units 11e are usually placed in the axial/straight sections 14e, and/or in axial/straight portions defined within the curved sections 14e (as exemplified in Fig. 5). The VSR accelerator 11 is thus configured to define: (I) one or more axial/straight particles/atoms motion sections 14e in which the direction of the velocity Vp+ of the ultra-relativistic ions of the beam 14 is opposite to the direction of the gravitation field (i.e., opposite to the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g), and in which the ions lose some energy; (II) one or more axial/straight particles/atoms motion sections 14e in which the direction of the velocity Vp- of the ultra-relativistic ions of the beam 14 is in the direction of the gravitation field (i.e., along the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g), and in which the ions gain some energy; and (III) one or more curved particles/atoms motion sections 14c deflecting the electrically charged particles/atoms into an at least partially circular trajectory for emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r. The vertical ring accelerator 11 further comprises one or more particle/atom detectors 11d (e.g., gas detectors, scintillation counters) mounted along the orbit (14) of the accelerated electrically charged particles/atoms for measuring the number of the electrically charged particles/atoms accelerated thereinside, and their velocity. The vertical ring accelerator 11 can further comprise one or more radiation detectors 12d (e.g., semiconductor and/or scintillator-based detectors) mounted in the curved particle motion sections 14c of the particles/atoms' orbit (14) for measuring the intensity of the synchrotron radiation 14r emission, or at any other section the particles/atoms' orbit wherein synchrotron radiation 14r is emitted. In some embodiments the vertical ring accelerator 11 is configured to convert the synchrotron radiation 14r generated at its top and bottom ends/extremities into heat, and transfer thermal energy thereby generated for production of electrical energy by a generator (e.g., a steam turbine or thermoelectric generator) 18. In this specific and non-limiting example, the VSR accelerator 11 comprises heat transfer units 12 configured to absorb the thermal energy generated by the high-energy photons of the synchrotron radiation 14r impinging thereon, and transfer the thermal energy absorbed therein to a condensed Fluid media (e.g., water/steam) streamed therethrough via a fluid inlet 11i of the vertical ring accelerator 11. The heated Fluid media can be then streamed via a fluid outlet 11o of the vertical ring accelerator to the turbine/generator 18 for the generation of the electrical energy (Electricity). Optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, the synchrotron radiator system 10 is configured for production of about 1 gigawatt electric power. In possible embodiments the height H of the VSR accelerator 11 can be about 10 to 300 meters (optionally about 50 to 300 meters). The width W of the VSR accelerator 11 can generally be about 5 to 50 meters. The length of the axial/straight particle motion sections 14e can generally be about 10 to 290 meters. The system 10 further comprises a control system 19 configured to monitor and manage the system's operation. The control system 19 is configured to communicate control and/or other data/signals 13c for controlling the operation of the pre-accelerator 13 for the production thereby of the beam 13b of the ion packets 13p at the required initial velocity and the required amount (e.g., beam current of at least 1 Ampere). The control system 19 can be further configured to receive measurement data/signals 19d and/or 12c from the detectors 11d and/or 12d, and generate control and/or other data/signals 19b for operating the particle bending units 11m, control and/or other data/signals 19f for operating the beam focusing units 11c, and/or control and/or other data/signals 19e for operating the particle accelerating units 11e. The control system 19 can be accordingly configured to process the measurement data/signals 19d and/or 12c received from the detectors 11d and/or 12d, and based thereon generate control and other data/signals (e.g., 19b, 19f and/or 19e) for operating the various units (e.g., 11m, 11c and/or 11e) of the VSR's accelerator 11. In some embodiments the control system 19 is further configured to communicate control and/or other data 18c with the generator 18. For example, the control system 19 can be configured to switch/regulate the operation of the generator 18 between various capacity levels thereof, and/or regulate the flow of the Fluid media through the heat transfer units 12, according to the state of operation of the system 10 as indicative from the measurement data/signals 19d from the particles detectors 11d, and/or according to the synchrotron radiation levels indicative from the measurement data/signals 12c from the radiation detectors 12d. Fig. 2 represents graphically the results of simulation performed with a mathematical model named GEAR (Gravitational Energy Absorber Reactor, derived from methodology of [4]). The presented GEAR simulation is designed for the calculation of the energies emitted or absorbed 14g by the ultra-relativistic ions, and the energy lost 14s in the VSR 11 due to the emission of synchrotron radiation and other factors. As seen at velocities very close to the speed of light the energy gain (14g) and lose (14s) plots are crossing at the Vx velocity of about 0.999917∙c of the ions i.e., the energy gain substantially equals to the energy lose. In fact, the inventor hereof found out through such simulations that the energy gain (14g) and lose (14s) plots can cross each other at multiple velocities. If, however, the gained energy (14g) increases too much the control over the beam of ultra-relativistic ion packets may be jeopardized, resulting in loss of some or all of the ion packets. It is therefore required to steadily maintain the system 10 about a working point, such as the crossing point Vx of the energy gain and lose plots, so as to guarantee that sudden increase in the gained energy is immediately compensated by a greater increase of the energy loses, and vice versa i.e., if the energy gained by the ions' is suddenly decreased, the rate of energy lost in the system is guaranteed to be smaller than the energy gain, to thereby push the system back to the working point Vx. In some embodiments the control system (19) utilizes system management learning algorithms (e.g., AI module 1a in Fig.4) configured and operable to identify one or more such working points Vx of the system 10 and manage the operation of the units of the system to maintain the system's operation about one of them. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an electricity production process 20 according to some possible embodiments. The process 20 can start in an initialization stage of steps s1 and s2, in which packets of ions (13p) generated by the pre-accelerator 13 are accelerated into the VSR accelerator 11 and continuously circulated thereinside until the number of ions (14) inside the VSR accelerator 11 reaches a desired target amount/number of particles/atoms Np. The target amount/number of ions Np can be configured in accordance with the time needed to bring the system into a fully operational state and/or the energy levels required in the system. In some embodiments the amount/number of particles/atoms Np for system initialization is about one microgram (or more) of ions ,that are accumulated and circulated inside the VSR accelerator 11. The system initialization stage can be ended by the control system 19 in step s2 based on the measurement data/signals 19d received from the particles detector 11d. After the desired target amount/number ions Np circulating inside the VSR accelerator 11 is reached the operation of the pre-accelerator 13 can be stopped. After the initialization stage of steps s1-s2 the process 20 is switched into an energy storage stage of steps s3 and s4, in which the ions (14) are cyclically accelerated inside the VSR accelerator 11 to gradually increase their energy/velocity, until either a desired target working point, such as velocity Vx in Fig. 2, or a desired arbitrary target relativistic energy/velocity, is reached. This energy storage stage can be ended in step s4 by the control system 19 based on the measurement data/signals 19d received from the particles detectors 11d indicating reaching the desired working (or arbitrary) velocity Vx. After the energy storage stage of steps s3-s4, the process 20 is switched into an electrical energy production stage of steps s5 and s6, in which the condensed Fluid media is controllably streamed through the heat transfer units (12) of the VSR accelerator 11 for accumulating therein thermal energy obtained from the high energy photons of the synchrotron radiation (14r), and converting the thermal energy accumulated in the Fluid media into electrical energy (Electricity) by the generator 18. Alternatively, or additionally, step s5 can be adapted to regulate the emission of the synchrotron radiation, and/or the ions packets' velocity by the particle accelerating units 11e, and/or production of particle-antiparticle pairs, as will explained hereinbelow. As exemplified, the system's control can be managed in a close loop of steps sto s6, for continuously generating electrical energy and adjusting the energy/velocity of the ions packets to guarantee that the system's operation is maintained about the desired target working point Vx. The control system 19 can be configured to control/regulate the operation of the generator 18, and/or the flow of the condensed Fluid media, based on the measurement data/signals 19d received from the particles detectors 11d, and/or on the measurement data/signals 12c received from the radiation detectors 12d. In possible embodiments one or more undulators (11u in Figs. 5, 6 and 8) are used in the curved sections 14c, and/or the axial/straight sections 14e, of the ions' orbit 14 to intensify the synchrotron radiation emission. The control system 19 can be configured in such embodiments to regulate the energy of the emitted synchrotron radiation by respective control data/signals (e.g., 19u in Figs. 4 and 5). This way, when the energy gained by the ultra- relativistic ions is increased above a predefined threshold level, the control system 19 generates control data/signals (19u) for the undulator (11u) to increase the synchrotron radiation emission, to thereby move the system back to the working point/velocity Vx. Similarly, when the energy gained by the ultra-relativistic ions is decreased below a predefined threshold level (e.g., due to synchrotron radiation emission), the control system 19 generates control data/signals (19u) for the undulator (11u) to decrease the synchrotron radiation emission, to push the system back to the working point/velocity Vx. These control sequences on the control system 19 can be utilized in any of the vertical ring accelerator embodiments disclosed herein and depicted in the figures.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating components of the control system according to some possible embodiments. The control system 19 generally comprises one or more processors 1u and memories 1m for storing program code and other data used for orchestrating the operation of the VSR accelerator 11 (e.g., generate control 19b for operating the particle bending units 11m and/or 19f for operating the beam focusing units 11c), the pre- accelerator 13, and/or of the generator 18. A communication interface (I/F) 1i is used in some embodiments to communicate the data/signals wirelessly, and/or over a serial/parallel data/signals communication bus, with the pre-accelerator 13, the various units/detectors of the VSR accelerator 11, the generator 18, and/or a communication network (e.g., data network, such as the Internet) 22 e.g., to communicate with a control center 22c. A flow control module 1f is used in some embodiments in the control system 19 to generate control data/signals 19w configured to control/regulate the flow of the Fluid media through the heat transfer units 12 and/or to the turbine/generator 18. A pre-accelerator module 1l may be used to generate control data/signals 13c configured to control the operation of the pre-accelerator 13. The working point module 1w can be used in the control system 19 to generate control data/signals 19u configured to control the operation of the undulator(s) 11u, and/or control data/signals 19e for operating the particle accelerating units 11e, so as to maintain the operation of the VSR accelerator 11 around a desired working point/velocity Vx. In the DVSR and MVSR embodiments disclosed herein the working point module 1w can be further configured to generate control data/signals 19q for regulating formation of matter- antimatter pairs (e-,e+ in Fig. 6), as will explained herein. The AI module 1a is used in some embodiments by the control system 19 to determine one or more working points/velocities Vx for system's operation e.g., based on data accumulated in the system over time. A collision control module 1c may be used in the DVSR and MVSR embodiments to generate control data/signals (19q in Figs. 6 and 7) configured to control the operation of the collisions control unit 11q, as will be explained in detail herein below. A polarization control module 1p is also included in the control system 19 in some embodiments for generation of the control data/signals 19e of the particle accelerating units 11e and/or the control data/signals 19b of the particle bending units 11m. In some embodiments, the polarization control module 1p is configured to alternatingly inverse the direction of the polarization of the electric fields applied in particle accelerating units 11e, and of the polarization of magnetic fields applied in the particle bending units 11m, as will be explained hereinafter with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

In some embodiments a packet synchronization module 1s is used in the control system to adapt the control data/signals 19b of the particle bending units 11m when multiple ion beams are circulated in the system. The packet synchronization module 1s can be configured to generate synchronization data/signals for one or more other components of the system, such the polarization control module 1p. A beam interaction control module 1r can be used in some embodiments in the control system 19 to generate control data/signals 19q for adjusting a distance between two more ion beams, as explained hereafter with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a vertical ring accelerator 11' usable as a synchrotron radiator according to some possible embodiments. It is noted that the vertical ring accelerator 11' of Fig. 3 is intended for use with the control system 19 and the generator 18 shown in Fig. 1, mutatis mutandis as explained hereinabove in detail. In this non-limiting example the extremities/ends of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t' are of oval shape configured to at least partially accommodate the curved particles/atoms' motion sections C1-C2 and C3-C4 of the beam 14 of electrically charged particles/atoms. In the configuration of the VSR accelerator 11' of Fig. 5 the beam 13b of ion packets 13p generated by the pre-accelerator 13 is passed through one or more beam focusing units 11c, and therefrom through one or more particle bending units 11m configured for introducing the beam 13b of the ions into the ions' orbit (14) defined inside the VSR accelerator 11' by a plurality of beam bending 11m, focusing 11c and accelerating 11e units thereof. The VSR accelerator 11' is configured to define a closed particles/atoms' orbit 14 comprising two or more axial/linear sections L3,L4 coinciding (collinear) with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g, and two or more curved sections C1-C2,C3-C4 at the top and bottom extremities/ends of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t', used in some embodiments for the emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r. Accordingly, each of the one or more axial/linear sections L3,L4 can accommodate one or more beam focusing units 11c, and each of the one or more curved sections C1-C2,C3-C4 can accommodate one or more beam bending units 11m. In the non-limiting example shown in Fig. 3, a beam focusing unit 11c is mounted after each beam bending unit 11m for focusing the packets of ions after each deflection operation being applied thereto. Specifically, the particles/atoms' orbit 14 of the VSR accelerator 11' comprises an axial/linear section L4 in which the the direction of the velocity Vp+ of the beam 14 of ions is opposite to the direction of the gravitation acceleration vector g, and an axial/linear sections L3 in which the the direction of the velocity Vp- of the ions of the beam 14 is in the direction of the gravitation acceleration vector 6. In this specific example each of the curved sections of the particles/atoms' orbit 14 comprises two curved regions (C1 and C2 at the top extremity, and C3 and C4 at the bottom extremity) accommodating the beam bending units 11m, separated by an axial/straight region (L1 at the top extremity, and L2 at the bottom extremity) accommodating one or more particle accelerating units 11e. However, the VSR accelerator 11' can be configured to include more (or less) particle accelerating units 11e, which may be similarly placed in its curved sections (e.g., C1-C2,C3-C4), and/or in its axial/linear sections L3,L4. As seen, the curved sections C1-C2,C3-C4 of the particles/atoms' orbit 14 can be configured with one or more synchrotron radiation emission regions. In the specific and non-limiting example the VSR accelerator 11' of Fig. 5, the curved region C1 of the top curved section comprises one or more undulator units 11u configured to oscillate the beam of electrically charged particles/atoms passed therethrough for intense emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r therein, and the curved region C3 of the bottom curved section similarly comprises further one or more undulator units 11u (located opposite to the undulator unit(s) of the top curved region C1) configured to oscillate the beam of electrically charged particles/atoms passed therethrough for intense emission of the synchrotron radiation 14r therein. Optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, a beam focusing unit 11c is mounted after each undulator unit 11u for focusing the packets of electrically charged particles/atoms after each oscillation operation applied thereto. In this configuration, thermal energy of the synchrotron radiation 14r is produced substantially in the top-left part/corner and the bottom-right part/corner of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t'. It is noted that though Fig. 5 exemplifies the VSR 11' with two undulator units 11u, it can similarly include a single undulator 11u, or utilize more than two undulator units 11u. In addition, the one or more undulator units 11u of VSR 11' can be placed at other locations along its particles/atoms' orbit 14 e.g., in the axial/linear sections L3,L4 and/or the curved sections C2,C4. Similarly, as in the system exemplified in Fig. 1, condensed Fluid (e.g., steam) media can be streamed through heat transfer units 12 installed in the top-left part/corner and the bottom-right part/corner of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t', for transferring the thermal energy obtained due to the high energy photons of the synchrotron radiation 14r for thermal energy processing system (such as the Electricity generator/turbine 18). Such heat transfer units 12 can be similarly provided in any other part of the particles/atoms' orbit 14 wherein undulators unit 11u are inserted, for streaming and heating condensed Fluid (e.g., steam) media therethrough for the heat processing.

In the various embodiments disclosed herein the ion packets can be circulated and accelerated inside a vacuum tube (not shown) installed inside the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t/11t' to define the orbit (14) of the ions thereinside, or in free space i.e., by providing suitable vacuum conditions inside the volume of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t/11t'. In possible embodiments the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t/11t' can be configured to circulate and/or accelerate a plurality of particles/atoms' orbits (14), each having its own, or utilizing mutual, beam accelerating, focusing and deflecting units. By utilization of adaptable beam deflection means such embodiments can be configured to utilize a single pre-accelerator for initializing circulation and acceleration of beams of ions packets in the plurality of particles/atoms' orbits defined inside the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t/11t'. Fig. 6 exemplifies a vertical storage ring accelerator 11'' configured to circulate and accelerate two beams of ion packets, 14' and 14'', along its closed particles orbit. Thus, the vertical storage ring accelerator 11'' of Fig. 6 is referred to herein as a dual vertical storage ring (DVSR). It is noted that the DVSR 11'' of Fig. 6 is intended for use with the control system 19 and the generator 18 shown in Fig. 1, mutatis mutandis as explained hereinabove in detail. The ion packets beams 14' and 14'' can be circulated and accelerated inside the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t' of the DVSR 11'' in the same direction, or in opposite (counter circulation) directions. As seen, the structure of the DVSR 11'' can generally be similar to the other vertical storge ring accelerators disclosed herein, having two or more axial/straight sections L3,L4(/14e) coinciding (collinear) with the direction of the gravity acceleration vector g, two or more curved sections C1-C2,C3-C4(/14c) at the top and bottom extremities/ends of the elongated vacuum tube/column 11t', one or more beam focusing units 11c, one or more particle accelerating units 11e, one or more particle bending units 11m, and one or more undulators 11u. However, in embodiments wherein the ions packets beams 14' and 14'' are circulated/accelerated in the DVSR 11'' in counter circulating directions, the control system is configured to alternately inverse the polarity of the electric fields applied in the particle accelerating units 11e and of the magnetic fields applied in the particle bending units 11m, in accordance with the ions packets passing therethrough in the counter circulating directions. The DVSR 11'' is configured in this non-limiting example to receive the two beams of ion packets, 14' and 14'', from a single pre-accelerator (e.g., LINAC) 13, but in possible embodiments two (or more) pre-accelerators 13 can be alternatively used.

In this specific and non-limiting example ion packets 13p from the pre-accelerator are fed into a beam splitting and bending unit 23 configured to introduce the ion packets 13p thereby produced into the closed particles' orbit of the DVSR 11'' in the opposite circulating directions Vp+,Vp-. The beam splitting and bending unit 23 can utilize two (or more) particle bending units 11m having a mutual inlet for receiving the ion packets 13p from the pre- accelerator 13, and respective separate particle bending paths extending therefrom in opposite directions. Though the pre-accelerator 13 appears in Fig. 6 inside the DVSR 11'', it is intended to be outside its elongated vacuum tube/column 11t', as shown in Fig. 1. The control system 19 can be accordingly configured to adapt by its packet synchronization module 1s the control data/signals 19b of the particle bending units 11m of the beam splitting and bending unit 23 for introducing the two ion packets beams, 14' and 14'', from the pre-accelerator 13, in the counter circulating directions. For example, the control system 19 can adapt the control data/signals 19b of the beam splitting and bending unit 23 to alternately activate one of its particle bending units 11m, to alternatingly introduce the ion packets 13p into the DVSR 11'' in the counter circulating directions. Alternatively, the control system 19 can adapt the control data/signals 19b of the beam splitting and bending unit 23 to activate one of its particle bending units 11m for a certain time interval required to introduce a certain amount of ion packets 13p into the DVSR 11'' in a first circulating direction, and thereafter to activate its other particle bending unit 11m for a certain time interval required to introduce same, or other, amount of ion packets 13p into the DVSR 11'' in the counter circulating direction and in between the ion packets 13p previously introduced thereinto in the first circulating direction. This way the initial time interval between the ion packets 13p generated by the pre-accelerator 13 can be used by the control system 19 to synchronize and adapt the different components of the system according to the circulating directions of the ion packet 13p passing in the different units. For example, the packet synchronization module 1s of the control system can be configured to adapt its synchronization signals based on the initial time interval between the ion packets 13p from the pre-accelerator 13 and the current velocity of the ion packets inside the DVSR 11'', which can be used by the polarization module 1p to adapt the control data/signals 19c,19b of the particle accelerating and bending units 11e,11b to inverse the polarities of their respective electric and magnetic fields in accordance with the circulating direction of the ions packets passing through them. In some embodiments the DVSR 14'' further comprises one or more beam interaction units 11q configured to cause interactions/collisions between photon clouds of the ultra- relativistic ions of the two ion packets beams 14' and 14'', for thereby producing matter-antimatter e-,e+ pairs. The matter-antimatter e-,e+ pairs produced in the beam interaction units 19q can be used to generate thermal energy for thermal processing systems e.g., electricity turbine/generator (18) using fluid media as explained hereinabove, and/or for direct generation of electric energy using any suitable thermal and/or non-thermal nuclear energy conversion technology. Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a beam interaction unit 11q according to some possible embodiments. The beam interaction unit 11q comprises two particle bending units 11m for each beam of ultra relativistic ion packets, for bending the two ion beams Vp-,Vp+ one towards the other to affect a reduced gap g2 (of about 1 micrometer) between them for causing the interactions/collisions between their photon clouds, and for restoring their original gap gthereafter. The control system 19 can be accordingly adapted to utilize a beam interaction control module 1r for generating control data/signals 19q for at least controlling the size of the reduced gap g2 between the counter circulating ultra relativistic ion beams Vp-,Vp+, so as to control the amount of matter-antimatter pairs produced in the beam interaction unit 11q. Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a vertical storage ring accelerator 11^ configured to accelerate a plurality of ion beams Vp1+,…, Vpk+ (where k>1 is an integer number) and/or Vp1- ,…, Vpj- (where j>1 is an integer number not necessarily equal to k). The vertical storage ring accelerator 11^ of Fig. 8 is therefore referred to herein as a muli-beam vertical storage ring (MVSR). It is noted that the MVSR 11^ of Fig. 8 is intended for use with the control system 19 and the generator 18 shown in Fig. 1, mutatis mutandis as explained hereinabove in detail. The MVSR 11^ may utilize a plurality of pre-accelerators 13, 13,…,13n (where n>1 is an integer number), configured to introduce the plurality of ion beams Vp1+,…, Vpk+ and/or Vp1- ,…, Vpj- into the closed particles' orbit of the MVSR 11^ in same or counter directions, with or without beam splitting and bending unit(s) 23. As seen, the MVSR 11^ can be configured to use one or more undulators 11u for generation of intense synchrotron radiation 14r, and/or one or more collisions control units 11q for generation of matter-antimatter pairs, which can be harnessed for thermal processing and/or electricity generation systems, as explained hereinabove in detail. Thus, the different vertical storage ring accelerator embodiments disclosed herein can be configured for the storage of one, two, or multiple, ion beams, to circulate and/or accelerate therein in the same direction, or in counter circulating directions, where the energy required for their acceleration can be at least partially attributed to the interactions of photon clouds formed around the nucleuses of the ions at ultra relativistic velocities with the earth's gravitational field.

These vertical storage ring accelerator embodiments can be thus configured to operate at working points/velocities Vx wherein the energy loses (e.g., due to synchrotron radiation emission and other factors) are nearly balanced with the energy gained due to the interaction with the earth's gravity field, and any increase in the energy gained by the ions results in a greater increase in energy losses, and any decrease in the energy gained by the ions results in a greater decrease in energy losses (as demonstrated in Fig. 2). This way, the velocity of ion beam packets circulated in these vertical storage ring accelerator embodiments can be configured to oscillate around the working point velocity Vx. Accordingly, the vertical storage ring accelerator embodiments hereof can be self-maintened abut the defined working point velocity Vx of the ions circulated thereinside. These vertical storage ring accelerator systems can thus regulate themself by emitting some portion of the ions' energy by synchrotron radiation and/or generation of matter-antimatter pairs, which can be harnessed for the production of electricity by conventional techniques. In possible embodiments the operation of these vertical storage ring accelerator embodiments is initialized using energy from a conventional power source/network e.g., an external system such the electric grid, to start their operation with sufficient amount of ions from the pre-accelerator(s), and accelerate them to the required ultra relativistic velocities (e.g., of about 99.995 % to 99.99995% of the speed of light), before switching into a self-power generation mode e.g., using electric energy turbine/generator 18. The pre-accelerator(s) can be configured to introduce "+1" or "+2" (or“+n”) ion packets into these vertical storage ring accelerators with a desired initial energy/velocity of about 95% to 99% the speed of the light. When the accelerated ion packets enter the vertical vacuum tube/column of the vertical accelerators hereof from the pre-accelerator system, they are caused by the electric and magnetic fields acting inside the vacuum tube/column to circulate thereinside and interact with the gravitation field of the planet. The circulation of the ion packets at the ultra relativistic velocities inside the vertically oriented vacuum tube/column causes at both (e.g., top and bottom) ends of the vacuum tube/column a periodic synchrotron creation/emission of high energy photons, as the ion packets approach particle bending magnetic units of the vacuum tube/column. The heat and creation of electron and positron pairs thus produced can be properly harnessed and routed, by various means, to a utilization station/equipment to generate electricity. In some embodiments, the synchrotron radiation is generated by a beam of ions circulating within the vertical vacuum tube/column to reach a kinetic energy between 100GeV to 1TeV. In some embodiments the ions are accelerated to the desired velocities utilizing one or more AWAKE (advanced wakefield experiment) accelerators, which can be exploited to significantly reduce the systems' geometrical dimensions/size and provide increased energy levels of the accelerated ions (e.g., 10GeV or higher). Relative terms such as "lower," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "above," "below," "up," "down," "top" and "bottom", as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally," "downwardly," "upwardly," etc.), and similar adjectives in relation to orientation of the described elements/components refer to the manner in which the illustrations are positioned on the paper, not as any limitation to the orientations in which these elements/components can be used in actual applications. It is further noted that terms such as first, second,... etc. may be used to refer to specific elements disclosed herein without limiting, but rather to distinguish between the disclosed elements. It should also be understood that throughout this disclosure, where a process or method is shown or described, the steps/acts of the method may be performed in any order and/or simultaneously, and/or with other steps/acts not-illustrated/described herein, unless it is clear from the context that one step depends on another being performed first. In possible embodiments not all of the illustrated/described steps/acts are required to carry out the method. Those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the methods disclosed herein can be implemented by software (e.g., program instructions) stored on an article of manufacture and/or storage media, and executable by a computer device, to facilitate implement the method by computing devices. As described hereinabove and shown in the figures, the present disclosure provides cyclic particles accelerators for implementing synchrotron radiators and related methods. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the invention can be carried out in a great variety of ways, employing more than one technique from those described above, all without exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims

- 28 - CLAIMS:

1. A synchrotron comprising a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside and having one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of ions to a near light speed velocity, said synchrotron configured to define in said closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by said beam bending units at extremity portions of said tube or column, for causing said accelerated ions to interact with said gravity field and thereby gain energy.

2. The synchrotron of claim 1 configured for emission of synchrotron radiation at least at its curved sections.

3. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims comprising one or more heat transfer units configured to absorb thermal energy generated due to the synchrotron radiation and transfer the thermal energy to thermal energy processing.

4. The synchrotron of claim 3 wherein the thermal energy processing comprises an electrical energy generator.

5. The synchrotron of claim 3 or 4 wherein the heat transfer units configured to stream fluid media therethrough for transferring the absorbed thermal energy to the thermal energy processing.

6. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims being couplable to a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce said pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of said synchrotron.

7. The synchrotron of claim 6 wherein the pre-accelerator configured to generate the beam of ions with at least "+1" and/or "+2" ions.

8. The synchrotron of claim 6 or 7 wherein the pre-accelerator is configured to generate the beam of ions with "+ n" ions, wherein n>2 is an integer number smaller or equal to the number of protons in said ions.

9. The synchrotron of any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the pre-accelerator is configured to bring the pre-accelerated ions to energy of about 10MeV to 100MeV.

10. The synchrotron of any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the pre-accelerator comprises a AWAKE accelerator system.

11. The synchrotron of any one of claims 6 to 10 wherein the pre-accelerator is configured to generate the pre-accelerated ions with beam current of at least 1A. - 29 -

12. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims configured to receive pre-accelerated ions until at least one microgram thereof are accumulated thereinside.

13. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims configured to accelerate the ions thereby received to an ultra relativistic velocity.

14. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims configured to accelerate the ions thereby received to attain an energy level of at least 10TeV.

15. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims configured for production of at least 1GW electrical power.

16. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims wherein a height of the tube or column is a range of 10 to 300 meters.

17. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims wherein width of the tube or column is in a range of 5 to 50 meters.

18. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims comprising at least one undulator in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein.

19. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims comprising a vacuum tube inside the tube or column defining the closed orbit of the electrically charged atoms.

20. The synchrotron of any one of the preceding claims configure to circulate and accelerated a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside its tube or column.

21. The synchrotron of claim 20 wherein at least two of the plurality of ion beams are circulated and accelerated thereinside in counter circulating directions.

22. The synchrotron of claim 21 comprising at least one beams interaction unit configured to cause collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of the at least two of the ion beams circulated and accelerated in the counter circulating directions.

23. The synchrotron of claim 22 configured to produce thermal and/or electrical energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced in the beams interaction unit due to the photons collisions.

24. An energy storage method comprising directing a beam of pre-accelerated ions into a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside, accelerating said beam of pre-accelerated ions to a near light speed velocity along a closed orbit configured inside said tube or column to comprise at least two axial/straight sections substantially coinciding with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections obtained by bending said beam of pre-accelerated ions at extremity portions of said tube or column, so as to cause said accelerated beam of ions to interact with said gravity field and thereby gain energy. - 30 -

25. The method of claim 24 comprising causing emission of synchrotron radiation by said beam of ions at least at curved sections of the closed orbit.

26. The method of any one of claims 24 to 25 comprising transferring thermal energy generated by synchrotron radiation emitted from the accelerated ions to a thermal energy process.

27. The method of claim 26 comprising generating electrical energy from the transferred thermal energy.

28. The method of claim 26 or 27 wherein the transferring of the thermal energy comprises streaming fluid media for the thermal energy processing.

29. The method of any one of claims 24 to 28 comprising pre-accelerating the beam of ions with at least "+1", and/or "+2", and/or "+ n" ions before introducing them into the tube or column.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising pre-accelerating the beam of ions to energy of about 10MeV to 100MeV.

31. The method of claims 29 or 30 comprising pre-accelerating the beam of ions a beam current of at least 1A.

32. The method of any one of claims 24 to 31 comprising introducing the pre-accelerated ions until into the tube or column until at least one microgram thereof is accumulated thereinside.

33. The method of any one of claims 24 to 32 comprising circulating and accelerating one or more additional beams of pre-accelerated ions inside the tube or column.

34. The method of claim 33 comprising accelerating at least one of the beams of the pre-accelerated ions in a circulating direction that is opposite to a circulating direction of at least another one of said beams of the pre-accelerated ions.

35. The method of claim 34 comprising causing collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of the at least two of the beams of pre-accelerated ion accelerated in the opposite circulating directions.

36. The method of claim 35 comprising producing thermal and/or electrical energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced due to the photons' collisions.

37. A synchrotron radiator comprising a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside and having one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of ions to a near light speed velocity, said synchrotron radiator configured to define in said closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the - 31 - circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by said beam bending units at extremity portions of said tube or column, for causing said accelerated ions to interact with said gravity field and thereby gain energy and emit synchrotron radiation.

38. The synchrotron radiator of claim 37 comprising at least one undulator in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein.

39. The synchrotron radiator of claim 37 or 38 comprising one or more heat transfer units configured to absorb thermal energy generated due to the synchrotron radiation and transfer the thermal energy to thermal energy processing.

40. The synchrotron radiator of any one of claims 37 or 39 being couplable to a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce said pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of said synchrotron.

41. The synchrotron radiator of claim 40 wherein the pre-accelerator is configured to bring the pre-accelerated ions to energy of about 10MeV to 100MeV, and/or to a beam current of at least 1A, and/or to accumulate at least one microgram of particles inside the tube or column.

42. The synchrotron radiator of any one of claims 37 to 41 configured to accelerate the ions thereby received to attain an energy level of at least 10TeV.

43. The synchrotron radiator of any one of claims 37 to 42 configured for production of at least 1GW of electrical power.

44. The synchrotron radiator of any one of claims 37 to 43 configure to circulate and accelerate a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside its tube or column.

45. The synchrotron radiator of claim 44 wherein at least two of the plurality of ion beams are circulated and accelerated thereinside in counter circulating directions.

46. A power plant comprising: a synchrotron having a tube or column configured with vacuum conditions thereinside, one or more beam accelerator units, one or more beam focussing units, and a plurality of beam bending units, configured to define a closed orbit for circulating and accelerating a beam of pre-accelerated ions to a near light speed velocity, said synchrotron accelerator configured to define in said closed orbit at least two axial/straight sections, in which motion of the circulated ions substantially coincide with a direction of a gravity field, and at least two curved sections defined therein by said beam bending units at extremity portions of said tube or column, for causing said accelerated ions to interact with said gravity field and thereby gain energy and emit synchrotron radiation; and an electrical power - 32 - generator coupled to said synchrotron and configured to convert thermal energy produced by the emitted synchrotron radiation into electrical energy.

47. The power plant of claim 46 comprising at least one undulator in at least one of the curved and/or the axial/straight sections of the closed orbit of the synchrotron for emission of intense synchrotron radiation therein.

48. The power plant of any one of claims 46 to 47 comprising a pre-accelerator configured to generate packets of pre-accelerated ions, and introduce said pre-accelerated packets of ions into the closed orbit of the synchrotron.

49. The power plant of any one of claims 46 to 48 configured for production of at least 1GW of electrical power.

50. The power plant of any one of claims 46 to 49 configure to circulate and accelerate a plurality of beams of the pre-accelerated ions inside the tube or column of the synchrotron and cause collision between photons formed around nucleuses of the ions of at least some of the ion beams for the producing thermal energy from matter-antimatter pairs produced due to the photons collisions.