PERFORMANCE TESTS AND LIFE DATA OF THE 36-MEGAWATT MODULATOR DEVELOPED FOR THE ASTRON 1000-MEGAWATT ELECTRON ACCELERATOR

Technical Report · Tue Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4780554· OSTI ID:4780554

Smith, V. L.

The 36-Mw modulator, utilizing a type 5949A hydrogen thyratron, was developed to pulse magnetic cores used in the 1000-Mw peak-power Astron linear electron accelerator. The type 5949A hydrogen thyratron is run at 32 kv, 2500 amp peak current (5X rating), 0.4- mu sec pulse length, and 60 pps. The system requires 500 thyratrons operated in parallel which results in a peak-power output of over 15,000 Mw. The modulator has an 800-hour tube life, low anode delay drift of 5 nsec at constant operating parameters, low anode delay drift of 20 nsec over a wide range of anode voltage and repetition rates, long term (up to 800 hr) anode delay drift of 50 nsec, rise time of 50 nsec with low ripple in a 7- ohm circuit giving a current rate of rise of 50,000 amp/ mu sec, positive output without significant deterioration of the rise time, and prefire rates as low as one per 400,000 pulses. (auth)

• Research Organization: California. Univ., Livermore. Lawrence Radiation Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• NSA Number: NSA-16-031129
• OSTI ID: 4780554
• Report Number(s): UCRL-6810
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANODES
CIRCUITS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON TUBES
ENERGY RANGE
FREQUENCY
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LIFETIME
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
MAGNETS
MODULATION
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICS
PLANNING
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