A 600-kV double-pulser for the PHERMEX electron gun

Conference · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:527535

Carlson, R L; Kang, M; Melton, J G; Seitz, G J; Trujillo, L T

The PHERMEX (Pulsed High Energy Radiographic Machine Emitting X-rays) Radiographic Facility is a 50-MHz, 3-Cavity, RF-Linac driven by a pulsed, thermionic electron-gun Injector. The PHERMEX is used to take flash radiographs using x-rays at a single time in an explosively driven event. To investigate the time evolution of these events requires two things: (1) a multiple-pulser to drive the electron-gun Injector and (2) a large-format, gamma-ray, camera system to record a scintillator at the different times. The authors report the recent success of developing a reliable double-pulser that consists of two Marx generators that independently charge two PFLs that are switched out at about 1.4 MV. The PFLs are connected in series by large diaphragm switches that are independently laser triggered by two quadrupled-YAG lasers. Recent tests of the system into a dummy load, produced two high quality 600 kV pulses separated by 1.0 {micro}s. Each pulse has a FWHM of 90 ns, a 50 ns flat-top {+-} 3%, and a risetime of 25 ns and a falltime of 35 ns. The interpulse time is variable up to about 275 {micro}s; the first switch is kept closed by a keep alive inductor. The system has produced a 50 shot sequence of two pulses with a 1-sigma jitter < 1 ns. The system has been modeled using TOSCA-3D, FLUX-2D, and a transmission line model run with the circuits code Micro-CAP.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 527535
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--97-2359; CONF-9706113--20; ON: DE97008807
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
BEAM INJECTION
DESIGN
ELECTRON GUNS
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
MARX GENERATORS
PERFORMANCE
PULSE GENERATORS
THERMIONIC EMISSION
X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY
X-RAY SOURCES