Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

DEVELOPMENT OF A 50-MEGAWATT MAGNETIC MODULATOR TO SIMULTANEOUSLY TRIGGER 500 THYRATRONS

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4637651

The Astron device requires for its operation a pulsed electron beam with an energy of 5 Mev plus or minus 0.5%. The required beam current is 200 amp with a pulse duration of 0.25 mu sec. The beam will be pulsed at 60 pps. A linear induction accelerator is being constructed using a large number of magnetic cores excited by 400 line-type thyratron modulators triggered simultaneously. The trigger for these modulators will be provided by a magnetic modulator supplying 50 Mw of peak power. A technique was developed for producing multiple synchronized pulse outputs from a magnetic modulator and at the same time maintaining electrical isolation between output pulses. Several prototype magnetic modulators utilizing this construction are described. A single-stage magnetic modulator capable of producing a 0.4- mu sec pulse with a peak power of 70 Mw into a 1.4-ohm resistive load was built. The core losses of this modulator and their relation to output pulse stability is discussed. The temperature profile of the modulator core under 60 pps operation is discussed in detail. A three-stage magnetic modulator capable of generating a 2250-volt, 0.4 mu sec pulse into a 0.1-ohm resistive load with a rise time of 100 nsec is described. This pulser will be powered from a single silicon-controlled rectifier. The electrical isolation of the multiple outputs and the simultanelty of outputs is described for a prototype two-stage modulator developing 1800 across a 0.1-ohm load. (auth)

Research Organization:
California. Univ., Livermore. Lawrence Radiation Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
NSA Number:
NSA-17-040164
OSTI ID:
4637651
Report Number(s):
UCRL-6811; CONF-237-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English