Physics Buzz and Uncertain Principles take on the plausibility of a purported x-ray death beam that was recently in the news.
Physics Buzz and Uncertain Principles take on the plausibility of a purported x-ray death beam that was recently in the news.
Radiotherapy Physicist here…
To get this to work you want to throw MeV electrons at a bremstrahlung target, not keV. then you get KE to X-ray conversion efficiency of 30-50% instead of 1%.
These are linacs, of course, not simple static potentials.
Some therapy X-ray machines can produce 24Gy per minute at one metre over 20×20 cm field.
http://www.variantruebeam.com/pdf/TrueBeam_Brochure.pdf
There are also (lower dose rate) therapy machines in vans
http://www.itnonline.com/article/tomotherapy-mobile-radiation-therapy-system
These will need to be hooked up to an industrial power supply from a building, though…
Okay, the title meant I just had to post this.
In 1999, Alan Parsons produced an album entitled “Time Machine”.
Here is the “Dr. Evil” remix of the title track:
http://youtubemusic.hubpages.com/hub/Alan_Parsons_Project_Time_Machine