A high-current picosecond electron accelerator with a low-impedance vacuum diode

A high-current picosecond (∼150 ps) electron accelerator with a beam energy of 50–100 keV is described. The use of a low-impedance vacuum diode at an amplitude of the arriving pulse of 300–400 kV made it possible to significantly increase the beam current (up to ∼15 kA) and the corresponding X-radiation intensity. One of the accelerator's applications in the X-ray therapy of malignant tumors. Some computational relations and results of measurements of the arriving and reflected voltage pulses near the diode are presented. The electron-accelerating voltage, beam current, vacuum-diode impedance, and other parameters are determined after the recovery procedure.     

A source of broad homogeneous beams of low-energy (∼0.5 keV) gas ions

A source of gas ions (argon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.), the operating principle of which is based on the use of a glow discharge in an electrode system of a wide-aperture hollow cathode and anode in a magnetic field, is described. The exit aperture diameter of the hollow cathode, increased up to a size close to the ion beam diameter (10 cm), ensures the uniform ion emission of the plasma generated in the discharge region near the anode. A decreased angular divergence or increased ultimate ion-beam current density is achieved by a change in the potential drop in the space charge sheath between the plasma and the ion optics. The source generates broad (50 cm²) slightly diverging (ω/2∼3°–5°) ion beams with energies of 300–1000 eV at a beam current density of ∼0.5 mA/cm².     

Characteristics and behavior of the electron beam of the MиH-1 accelerator in air

The electron-beam characteristics of the MиH-1 accelerator have been measured. At the output of the accelerating tube, the current-pulse amplitude is ∼1kA, duration ∼10ns, and maximal electron energy ∼600 keV. As the beam passes through the air, its diameter increases linearly with the distance varying from 2 cm at the tube window to ∼45 cm at a distance of 1 m from it, which agrees with the calculations performed.     

Ionization Profilometer of the Beam Position on the Target of the COMBAS Fragment-Separator

The operation principle of a newly designed ionization profilometer is described, and results of its tests with a 30-MeV/nucleon ⁴⁰Ar ion beam are presented. The measured beam density distribution over its cross section is given. The space resolution of this profilometer is 1 × 1 mm. The image of this beam on a fluorescent screen is shown for comparison. It is determined that the minimum value of the beam current at which it is still possible to measure its profile is 3 nA. The measurements were performed at residual gas pressures of 2 × 10^–3 and 7 × 10^–3 Pa.     

The amplitude and current pulse duration of a supershort avalanche electron beam in air at atmospheric pressure

The results of experimental studies of the parameters (amplitude and duration) of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) generated in air at atmospheric pressure are presented. It is shown that the pulse duration of the beam current behind the foil from the entire area of the anode foil is larger than from small areas and depends on the cathode design. The number of electrons that are detected behind the 10-μm-thick Al foil is ∼6 × 10¹⁰ electrons, which corresponds to a SAEB amplitude of ∼100 A at a FWHM of the current pulse of ∼100 ps. An X-ray exposure dose per pulse of ∼1.8 mR was obtained using a 20-μm-thick copper foil. It was confirmed that the FWHM of a SAEB pulse is within ∼50 ps from small foil areas (with diameters of ∼7 mm or smaller).     

Resistive loss compensation in the power supply system of the toroidal field winding in the TUMAN-3M tokamak

In the tokamak, in which the winding generating the toroidal field with induction B _t is powered from an inductive energy storage, resistive losses are the main factor that causes B _t to decrease during a discharge. Upgrading of the power supply circuit of the toroidal magnetic field winding (TFW) in the TUMAN-3M tokamak is aimed, primarily, at increasing B _t in the injection heating phase and, second, at maintaining B _t quasi-stationarity during the whole tokamak discharge. To do this, an additional two-section capacitive storage commuted by two thyristor switches has been introduced into the available circuit. Either section of the storage is characterized by a charging voltage of 0.25 kV, a capacitance of 4.32 F, and an energy capacity of 135 kJ. The maximum discharge current of the section is 40 kA. The upgraded circuit compensates for the resistive loss in the TFW and ensures thereby a 50% increase in the magnetic field during injection heating relative to the old circuit: B _t = 1.0 T instead of 0.68 T. In this case, the circuit maintains a TFW current of 110 kA with an accuracy of 10% for ∼60 ms.     

Calculation of the variable-profile electron beam for electron coolers

Interaction of an electron beam with a cooled ion beam makes it possible to reduce its phase volume, perform accumulation of particles, and suppress various “heating” effects. The electron beam can also be used as a target for an electron-ion recombination reaction, which offers a chance to carry out atomic physics experiments and ensure slow uniform extraction of the ion beam from the storage ring. A high-perveance electron beam with a variable profile is required for effective cooling, while a high current density and a low energy of transverse motion of electrons in the beam is needed for extraction by means of recombination. It is shown that a convex cathode placed in a magnetic field can be used to form such a beam. A high current density can be attained with this shape of the cathode, but additional efforts must be focused on optimizing the gun’s optics in order to obtain a low energy of transverse motion of particles. Since ions repeatedly pass through the cooling section during their lifetime at different values of the betatron oscillation phase, the rates of recombination and cooling are dependent on the rms electron velocity averaged over the volume in which the beam interaction occurs. The proposed design of the gun with a convex cathode 10.2 mm in diameter ensures formation of a variable-profile electron beam with a nominal current of 1 A and a current density of 1.2 A/cm². The rms energy of Larmor gyration of electrons at the exit from the gun, averaged over the beam cross section (the “transverse” temperature) is 1 eV. A focusing electrode that forms the Pierce optics near the edge of the cathode, an electrode controlling the beam profile, and an anode are included in the optics of the electron gun.     

A subnanosecond pulsed source of electrons and X-rays

We measured the time and dose characteristics of electron and X-radiation of the иMA3-150З tube connected to the subnanosecond megavolt CпиH-2 accelerator. About ∼5×10¹² electrons per pulse are generated when the accelerating-voltage pulse is ≥600 kV high and ≈=0.3 ns long. The current amplitude reaches ∼5 kA, and the radiation dose is ∼5 kGy/pulse. The X-ray dose from the external tantalum target is 0.15 Gy/pulse. The development of the electron-tube and X-ray-tube prototypes with considerably smaller sizes has opened up new fields of application in medicine and engineering.     

Measurements of strong pulsed magnetic fields by Hall effect devices

The possibility of using Hall effect devices for measuring strong pulsed magnetic fields is studied. The Hall effect devices with a∼10-mV/T sensitivity, based on 1- to 3-μm-thick n-type InAs polycrystalline films with a 10³-cm²/(Vs) electron mobility and ∼10¹⁸-cm-³ concentration, are used. It is established that the Hall effect voltage of these devices is a linear function of the field in magnetic fields with an induction of up to 56 T, and they are suitable for measuring unipolar strong pulsed magnetic fields at induction variation rates of up to ~10⁵T/s. It is necessary to use more sensitive Hall effect devices to obtain higher signal-to-noise ratios for rapidly measuring alternating fields.     

An arc generator of a broad plasma stream

The design and basic parameters of an arc plasma generator based on a combined cathode are described. The cathode consists of a hot tungsten filament located in the hollow cathode. A plasma stream with a cross section of 150×10 cm² and a density of ∼10¹⁰ cm⁻³ at a pressure of 0.1–1 Pa is generated at a discharge current of up to 60 A without a cathode spot. The plasma generator can be utilized for final cleaning and activation of surfaces of materials and articles before depositing functional coatings on them and in plasma-assisted deposition by using either vacuum arc or magnetron discharges.     

A high-current nanosecond electron accelerator with a semiconductor opening switch

A compact nanosecond electron accelerator with an output energy of up to 4000 keV, a pulsed power of 100–180 MW, a beam current of 0.25–1.1 kA, and a pulse energy of 5–7 J is described. The accelerator operates with a pulse repetition rate of 200 Hz and ensures an average beam power of up to 1 kW. A nanosecond generator with a solid-state switching system, which is based on magnetic stages of pulse compression and a semiconductor opening switch, is used as a supplying device. The design and electric circuit of the accelerator are described, and test results are presented.     

A source of broad electron beams with a self-heated hollow cathode for plasma nitriding of stainless steel

The principle of operation and characteristics of a broad electron beam source based on the discharge with a self-heated hollow cathode and widened anode part are described. The source is intended for the ion nitriding of metals in the electron beam plasma. The influence of the current density (1–7 mA/cm²) and ion energy (0.1–0.3 keV) on the nitriding rate of the 12X18H10T austenitic stainless steel is studied. It is shown that the maximal nitriding rate is reached by the combining of the minimal bias voltage across the samples (100 V) and maximal ion current density, which ensures the dynamic oxide layer sputtering on the sample surface. The electron source, in which electrons are extracted through a stabilizing grid in the direction normal to the axis of the hollow cathode, ensures the radially divergent electron beam formation with a 700-cm² initial cross section, a current of up to 30 A, and initial electron energy of 0.1–0.5 keV. The source stably operates at nitrogen-argon mixture pressures of up to 3 Pa.     

An PBЕ-73C vacuum spark gap with a control circuit based on an inductive energy storage

The design and operating principle of a small (50 mm in diameter and 100 mm in height) РВЕ-73C vacuum spark gap are described. It is shown that it can be efficiently switched using a control circuit with a low (∼900 V) supply voltage, which is based on an inductive energy storage and a diode opening switch that forms a high-voltage igniting pulse with a rise time of nanosecond duration. The РВЕ-73C switching process is investigated at different rise times of igniting voltage pulses and different igniting current amplitudes. The results of tests of the spark gap operating in regimes of switching current pulses with an amplitude of 12 kA and a rise time of 800 ns are presented.     

A Wideband spectrometer for NMR studies

The design of a wideband decimeter-wave (200–900 MHz) spectrometer with a magnetic induction of up to ∼10 T is described. This spectrometer is intended for studying electronic-nuclear oscillations in antiferromagnets at low temperatures (4.2−1.3 K). Critical field H _c = 2.5 ± 0.3 T of a reorientation transition in a noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn₃Al₂Ge₃O₁₂ at temperature T ≈ 1.3 K was determined from a ⁵⁵Mn²⁺ NMR spectrum.     

A calorimetric spectrometer measuring single pulses of relativistic microwave generators

A calorimetric spectrometer measuring individual pulses radiated by wideband relativistic microwave oscillators is described. The calorimetric spectrometer comprises two calorimeters and a set of low-pass filters. In the development of such a spectrometer, the basic feature consists in the high radiation power (∼10⁸ W) and low pulse energy (∼1 J). To prevent the microwave surface discharge, the calorimeters have a rather large area (∼0.1 m²). The calorimeters’ sensitivity is 0.05 J. Frequency responses of the filters were measured experimentally and calculated with the help of a three-dimensional version of the KARAT computer code. The experimental spectrum of a wideband relativistic microwave plasma oscillator measured in a frequency range of 5–40 GHz is presented.     

Solution of reciprocal problem of magnetic flaw detection through calculation of multipole moments of an elliptic flaw

An algorithm has been developed for calculating parameters of an effective elliptic flaw (EEF) on the base of changes in the magnetic field intensity in the air. EEF is defined as a flaw with an elliptic cross section whose magnetic moments (dipole, quadrupole, and octupole), hence the field at a large distance, are the same as those of a given flaw with an arbitrary shape. The relation between the parameters of EEF and real flaws has been established by solving Grinberg’s integral equation for internal and surface flaws of the two-dimensional configuration in a half-space filled with a linear (μ=const) ferromagnetic material. This relation was used in drawing up the solution of the reciprocal problem of magnetic flaw detection.     

A Gas-Ion Ribbon Beam Source with a Wide-Aperture Cold Hollow Cathode

A source of gas-ion ribbon beams on the basis of a glow discharge in a prolonged electrode system with a closed drift of fast electrons is described. This drift ensures a uniform plasma ion emission in the transverse direction relative to the magnetic induction vector. A discharge with a current of up to 3.5 A and a voltage of 400–600 V in a magnetic field of 6 mT is maintained under a gas flow of 40 cm³atm/min and ensures a saturation ion current density from plasma of up to 4 mA/cm² (±5%) over a length of 50 cm. Using slit-type optics with an aperture of 50 × 1 cm, a ribbon beam with a current of up to 0.2 A and an energy of argon ions of up to 25 keV has been obtained. Methods of the concentration of discharge near the emissive slit and the effect of the electron drift on the ion emission from the plasma are considered. The optimal conditions for ion beam formation are determined.     

A SOS-Generator for technological applications

A solid-state nanosecond SOS-generator for electrophysical technology applications is described. In the input part of the generator, the energy arrives at the high-voltage magnetic compressor through IGBT modules and a step-up pulse transformer. The input part of the generator is equipped with an unused energy recuperation circuit, and, when the output pulse is formed, the microsecond pumping mode of the semiconductor opening switch (SOS) is realized. As a result, the complete efficiency of the generator operating into a matched load is increased from ∼40 to 60–62%. The other characteristics of the generator are as follows: the peak voltage is up to 60 kV, the current is up to 6 kA, the pulse duration is about 40 ns, the pulse repetition rate in the continuous mode is 1 kHz, and the average output power is up to 9 kW.     

A simple method for formation of the matching input in a helical undulator

A helical undulator is widely used in free-electron lasers with pulsed electron beams. An adiabatic input with a length of 5–10 periods is commonly used to inject the beam. A novel and simpler method for matching the undulator input is proposed, theoretically investigated, and experimentally implemented. The end field is formed with the help of wire sections in the form of straight lines and circular arcs, which permits an accurate control of geometrical dimensions. The axial length of this section is ∼1/6 of the undulator period. Experimental results obtained on the undulator with a period of 4.8 cm agree well with theoretical data.     

A facility for metal surface treatment with an electron beam

A design for a facility for the surface treatment of metal samples is described, and the results from investigating the source of a high-current low-energy electron beam are presented. The electron beam, which has a current as high as 300 A, a pulse duration of 30 µs, and a pulse repetition rate of up to 10 Hz, is formed in a plasma-cathode gas-filled diode at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV. The space-charge compensated electron beam is transported a distance of 20 cm in a longitudinal magnetic field to the region of its interaction with a solid body. At a current density as high as 100 A/cm², the power density produced by the beam is sufficient for the metal surface to be melted in the duration of one or several pulses. Samples can be replaced in the facility without breaking the vacuum.Translated from Pribory i Tekhnika Eksperimenta, No. 1, 2005, pp. 135–140.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Koval, Shchanin, Devyatkov, Tolkachev, Vintizenko.