Development and testing of immersed-Bz diodes with cryogenic anodes.

Conference · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:968410

Bruner, Nichelle Lee ^[1]; Cordova, Steve Ray; Oliver, Bryan Velten ^[1]; Portillo, Salvador; Cooper, Graham ^[2]; Puetz, Elizabeth A; Johnston, Mark D; Hahn, Kelly Denise; McLean, John ^[3]; Molina, Isidro; Droemer, Darryl W ^[3]; Welch, Dale R ^[1]; Rovang, Dean Curtis; Van De Valde, David M ^[4]; Gregerson, Darryl ^[5]; Maenchen, John Eric; O'Malley, John ^[2]

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1. ATK Mission Research, Albuquerque, NM
2. AWE, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
3. Bechtel-Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
4. EG&G, Albuquerque, NM
5. Ktech Corporation, Albuquerque, NM

Sandia National Laboratories is investigating and developing high-dose, high-brightness flash radiographic sources. The immersed-B{sub z} diode employs large-bore, high-field solenoid magnets to help guide and confine an intense electron beam from a needle-like cathode 'immersed' in the axial field of the magnet. The electron beam is focused onto a high-atomic-number target/anode to generate an intense source of bremsstrahlung X-rays. Historically, these diodes have been unable to achieve high dose (> 500 rad {at} m) from a small spot (< 3 mm diameter). It is believed that this limitation is due in part to undesirable effects associated with the interaction of the electron beam with plasmas formed at either the anode or the cathode. Previous research concentrated on characterizing the behavior of diodes, which used untreated, room temperature (RT) anodes. Research is now focused on improving the diode performance by modifying the diode behavior by using cryogenic anodes that are coated in-situ with frozen gases. The objective of these cryogenically treated anodes is to control and limit the ion species of the anode plasma formed and hence the species of the counter-streaming ions that can interact with the electron beam. Recent progress in the development, testing and fielding of the cryogenically cooled immersed diodes at Sandia is described.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 968410
• Report Number(s): SAND2005-4373C; TRN: US0904655
• Resource Relation: Conference: Proposed for presentation at the 15th IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference held June 13-17, 2005 in Monterey, CA.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
DESIGN
TESTING
ELECTRON BEAMS
FOCUSING
X RADIATION
ANODES
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CATHODES
CRYOGENICS