Behavior of relativistic electron beam in a gas-filled drift tube as a function of gas pressure

Several issues pertaining to electron-beam propagation and techniques for risetime enhancement of the Aurora electron beam and bremsstrahlung pulses are examined. Time-varying models for the double-humped current waveforms produced by propagating relativistic electron beams through gas cells of vari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on nuclear science 1993-12, Vol.40 (6), p.1434-1441
Main Authors: Merkel, G., Litz, M., Roberts, H., Smith, M., Still, G.W., Miller, R.B., McCullough, W.F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Diodes
Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering
Electron beams
Electron tubes
Exact sciences and technology
Experimental methods and instrumentation for elementary-particle and nuclear physics
High voltage or high current generators
High-current and high-voltage technology: power systems
power transmission lines and cables (including superconducting cables)
Ionization
Laboratories
Nuclear physics
Other topics in elementary-particle and nuclear physics experimental methods and instrumentation
Other topics in elementary-particleand nuclear physics experimental methods and instrumentation
Physics
Pulse measurements
Pulse shaping methods
Shape
Space charge
Space vector pulse width modulation
Various equipment and components
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Summary:Several issues pertaining to electron-beam propagation and techniques for risetime enhancement of the Aurora electron beam and bremsstrahlung pulses are examined. Time-varying models for the double-humped current waveforms produced by propagating relativistic electron beams through gas cells of various pressures and gas species are developed and compared with experimental results. There is a pressure region in which the electron beam propagates until a virtual cathode is formed. At later times the virtual cathode is neutralized by the formation of positive ions by collisions between gas molecules and relativistic electrons. The beam can then propagate. The passage of the electron-beam through a gas cell can be used to control the risetime, pulse width, and general pulse shape of the final bremsstrahlung temporal pulse shape. At higher pressures (200 mtorr-He) nose erosion sharpens the 70-ns Aurora pulse risetime to approximately 20 ns. There is, however, a double-humped phenomenon at lower pressures.< >
ISSN:0018-9499
1558-1578
DOI:10.1109/23.273521