Survey of Plasma Diagnostic Techniques Applicable to Radiographic Diodes

Abstract

Plasmas are ubiquitous in the high-power electron beam diodes used for radiographic applications. In rod pinch and immersed Bz diodes they are found adjacent to the cathode and anode electrodes, and are suspected of affecting the diodes impedance characteristics as well as the radiographic spot size. In paraxial diodes, pre-ionized plasmas or beam-formed plasmas are also found in the gas focusing section. A common feature of the plasmas adjacent to the electrodes is that their densities can range from 1012-1017 cm-3, and their velocity is on the order of 107 cm/s. Researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory have developed a high-sensitivity two-color interferometer that is presently being tested on Gamble II for future use on the Sandia RITS accelerator operating with a Bz diode. This diagnostic is capable of resolving a line-integrated electron density of 2x1012 cm-2, a density that might be capable of even observing the electron beam directly. This paper will present an overview of laser-based and spectroscopic diagnostics that could be used to measure plasmas found in radiographic diodes with spatial and temporal resolutions on the order of 1-5 mm and 5 ns, respectively. Plans for the use of this diagnostic on a pre-ionized plasma cell of a paraxial diode on the Sandia RITS experiment will be discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA635220

Entities

People

  • B. V. Oliver
  • B.V. Weber
  • D. C. Rovang
  • D. V. Rose
  • Danny R. Welch
  • Edl Schamiloglu
  • Isaac Molina
  • J. E. Maenchen
  • Kristan Allan Hahn
  • S. Cordova

Organizations

  • University of New Mexico

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Backward Wave Oscillators
  • Electron Beams
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Glow Discharges
  • Impedance
  • Interferometers
  • Lasers
  • Military Research
  • Nanosecond Time
  • New Mexico
  • Plasma Diagnostics
  • Pulsed Power
  • Radiation
  • Sensitivity
  • Spectroscopy
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Microelectronics