Formation of 2–3 MeV, 100-ps High-Current Electron Bunches With Peak Power Above 40 GW Using an All-Solid-State Driver

Application of 2 MV, 100 ps, 100 GW pulse from a solid-state driver for powering vacuum diodes with explosive emission cathodes is described. The first sealed-off diode with a “tube-plane” electrode geometry operated in a mismatched mode. A tantalum foil cathode emitted a divergent electron flow with the current of ≈ 12 kA, energy of ≈ 3.2 MeV and peak power of ≈ 40 GW through a beryllium window. Acceleration gradient of 500 МeV/m was achieved in the 6-mm long diode gap. Another diode with a tubular graphite cathode and a strong guiding magnetic field was closer to matching with the driver. The bunch current of 22–27 kA and energy of ≈ 2 MeV were estimated as it passed aluminum filters with thickness of 0.015–5.7 mm shielding the collector sensor. The charge of recorded bunch exceeded 2500 nC. These parameters do not contradict the ones obtained in diode simulation by particle-in-cell method.