Publications

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In this study, the self-magnetic-pinch diode is being developed as an intense electron beam source for pulsed-power-driven x-ray radiography. The basic operation of this diode has long been understood in the context of pinched diodes, including the dynamic effect that the diode impedance decreases during the pulse due to electrode plasma formation and expansion. Experiments being conducted at Sandia National Laboratories' RITS-6 accelerator are helping to characterize these plasmas using time-resolved and time-integrated camera systems in the x-ray and visible. These diagnostics are analyzed in conjunction with particle-in-cell simulations of anode plasma formation and evolution. The results confirm the long-standing theory of critical-current operation with the addition of a time-dependent anode-cathode gap length. The results may suggest that anomalous impedance collapse is driven by increased plasma radial drift, leading to larger-than-average ion v_r × B_θ acceleration into the gap.

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In experiments conducted on the RITS-6 accelerator, the SMP diode exhibits sig- ni cant shot-to-shot variability. Speci cally, for identical hardware operated at the same voltage, some shots exhibit a catastrophic drop in diode impedance. A study is underway to identify sources of shot-to-shot variations which correlate with diode impedance collapse. To remove knob emission as a source, only data from a shot series conducted with a 4.5-MV peak voltage are considered. The scope of this report is limited to sources of variability which occur away from the diode, such as power ow emission and trajectory changes, variations in pulsed power, dustbin and transmission line alignment, and di erent knob shapes. We nd no changes in the transmission line hardware, alignment, or hardware preparation methods which correlate with impedance collapse. However, in classifying good versus poor shots, we nd that there is not a continuous spectrum of diode impedance behavior but that the good and poor shots can be grouped into two distinct impedance pro les. This result forms the basis of a follow-on study focusing on the variability resulting from diode physics. 3

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Experiments have been conducted at Sandia National Laboratories' RITS-6 accelerator facility [1] (operating at 7.5 MV and 180 kA) investigating plasma formation and propagation in relativistic electron beam diodes used for flash x-ray radiography. High resolution, visible and ultraviolet spectra were collected in the anode-cathode (A-K) vacuum gap of the Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) diode [2-4]. Time and space resolved spectra are compared with time-dependent, collisional-radiative (CR) calculations [5-7] and Lsp, hybrid particle-in-cell code simulations [8,9]. Results indicate the presence of a dense (>1x10¹⁷cm^-3), low temperature (few eV), on-axis plasma, composed of hydrocarbon and metal ion species, which expands at a rate of several cm/s from the anode to the cathode. In addition, cathode plasmas are observed which extend several millimeters into the A-K gap [10]. It is believed that the interaction of these electrode plasmas cause premature impedance collapse of the diode and subsequent reduction in the total radiation output. Diagnostics include high speed imaging and spectroscopy using nanosecond gated ICCD cameras, streak cameras, and photodiode arrays.

The negative-polarity rod-pinch diode is being developed and tested on the RITS-6 accelerator to expand radiographic capabilities. High current densities at the tip of the rod anode generate a plasma which expands at a rate of 2-4 cm μs. Images of visible light captured with a high-speed intensified charge-coupled device camera show the development and expansion of the plasma. © 2006 IEEE.

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This report outlines a convenient method to calibrate fast (<1ns resolution) streaked, fiber optic light collection, spectroscopy systems. Such a system is used to collect spectral data on plasmas generated in the A-K gap of electron beam diodes fielded on the RITS-6 accelerator (8-12MV, 140-200kA). On RITS, light is collected through a small diameter (200 micron) optical fiber and recorded on a fast streak camera at the output of 1 meter Czerny-Turner monochromator (F/7 optics). To calibrate such a system, it is necessary to efficiently couple light from a spectral lamp into a 200 micron diameter fiber, split it into its spectral components, with 10 Angstroms or less resolution, and record it on a streak camera with 1ns or less temporal resolution.

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The development of plasma sources with densities and temperatures in the 10{sup 15}-10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and 1-10eV ranges which are slowly varying over several hundreds of nanoseconds within several cubic centimeter volumes is of interest for applications such as intense electron beam focusing as part of the x-ray radiography program. In particular, theoretical work [1,2] suggests that replacing neutral gas in electron beam focusing cells with highly conductive, pre-ionized plasma increases the time-averaged e-beam intensity on target, resulting in brighter x-ray sources. This LDRD project was an attempt to generate such a plasma source from fine metal wires. A high voltage (20-60kV), high current (12-45kA) capacitive discharge was sent through a 100 {micro}m diameter aluminum wire forming a plasma. The plasma's expansion was measured in time and space using spectroscopic techniques. Lineshapes and intensities from various plasma species were used to determine electron and ion densities and temperatures. Electron densities from the mid-10{sup 15} to mid-10{sup 16} cm{sup -3} were generated with corresponding electron temperatures of between 1 and 10eV. These parameters were measured at distances of up to 1.85 cm from the wire surface at times in excess of 1 {micro}s from the initial wire breakdown event. In addition, a hydrocarbon plasma from surface contaminants on the wire was also measured. Control of these contaminants by judicious choice of wire material, size, and/or surface coating allows for the ability to generate plasmas with similar density and temperature to those given above, but with lower atomic masses.

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Sandia National Laboratories is investigating and developing high-dose, high-brightness flash radiographic sources. The immersed-Bz 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 @ 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. ©2005 IEEE.

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