Diagnostic Equipment for the TEMP-4M Generator of High-current Pulsed Ion Beams

Abstract

The results of calibration and optimization of the diagnostic equipment for a gigawatt power pulsed ion beam accelerator are presented. The study was performed using the TEMP-4M accelerator set in the mode of double pulse formation. The first pulse is negative (300 – 600 ns, 100 – 150 kV), followed by the second positive pulse (80 ns, 250 – 300 kV). The ion current density is 30 – 300 A/cm(for different designs of diodes), the ion energy is 250 – 300 keV, and the beam is composed of protons and carbon ions. The calibration of the diagnostic equipment shows that it correctly reflects the accelerator operation in the short-circuit mode (U = 50 – 60 kV), when operating with a resistive load up to 10 Ω (200 – 300 kV) and when operating with a diode. A technique based on the time-of-flight (TOF) method for a quick determination of the beam’s composition (ion type and degree of ionization) was tested. The method allowed for the determination of the absolute values of the ion current density and the energy spectrum for each ion type with an accuracy of ±10%.