Bubble Technology Industries Inc.
Development of a Miniaturized Ion Source for Space Exploration — Active interrogation techniques using neutron beams are typically used for material identification and elemental analysis over a broad spectrum of space and terrestrial applications. Space applications include searching for volatiles, geological characterization, and (eventually) prospecting to enable mining and in-situ resource utilization; applications on Earth include explosives and narcotics detection in security arenas. BTI is proposing to develop a simple, miniature, ruggedized ion source as a component of future neutron generators and ion-beam probes. The miniaturized device will help accommodate payload mass and volume constraints, while the low complexity will reduce fabrication costs and improve reliability. In many surveying applications, there is a desire to use a broadly dispersed beam rather than one intense point source. An affordable, miniature ion source could be used to populate an interrogation zone with an array of many small generators, thereby offering a unique ca