[en] The second axis of the Dual Axis Radiography of Hydrodynamic Testing (DARHT) facility produces up to four radiographs within an interval of 1.6 microseconds. It accomplishes this by slicing four micro-pulses out of a long 1.8-kA, 16.5-MeV electron beam pulse and focusing them onto a bremsstrahlung converter target. The long beam pulse is created by a dispenser cathode diode and accelerated by the unique DARHT Axis-II linear induction accelerator (LIA). Beam motion in the accelerator would be a problem for radiography. High frequency motion, such as from beam breakup instability, would blur the individual spots. Low frequency motion, such as produced by pulsed power variation, would produce spot to spot differences. In this article, we describe these sources of beam motion, and the measures we have taken to minimize it.

[en] The DARHT-II linear induction accelerator (LIA) accelerates a 2-kA electron beam to more than 17 MeV. The beam pulse has a greater than 1.5-microsecond flattop region over which the electron kinetic energy is constant to within 1%. The beam dynamics are diagnosed with 21 beam-position monitors located throughout the injector, accelerator, and after the accelerator exit, where we also have beam imaging diagnostics. We discuss the tuning of the injector and accelerator, and present data for the resulting beam dynamics. We discuss the tuning procedures and other methods used to minimize beam motion, which is undesirable for its application as a bremsstrahlung source for multi-pulse radiography of exlosively driven hydrodynamic experiments. We also present beam stability measurements, which we relate to previous stability experiments at lower current and energy.

[en] The DARHT-II linear induction accelerator (LIA) now accelerates 2-kA electron beams to more than 17 MeV. This LIA is unique in that the accelerated current pulse width is greater than 2 microseconds. This pulse has a flat-top region where the final electron kinetic energy varies by less than 1% for more than 1.5 microseconds. The long risetime of the 6-cell injector current pulse is 0.5 (micro)s, which can be scraped off in a beam-head cleanup zone before entering the 68-cell main accelerator. We discuss our experience with tuning this novel accelerator; and present data for the resulting beam transport and dynamics. We also present beam stability data, and relate these to previous stability experiments at lower current and energy.