A high-repetition rate pulsed electron accelerator

A new electron beam accelerator with beam ejection into the atmosphere has been recently developed for radiation technology application. The high-voltage nanosecond pulse generator of the accelerator is based on a low-inductance pulse transformer. A cold cathode thyratron is used as a primary switcher. The diode consists of a cathode, which provides a high delay time in the plasma formation. The electron beam current pulse duration at half height is 75 ns. The kinetic energy of the electron beam is 450 keV. A cooling system is used for the anode, which makes it possible to extract an electron beam with the current density of 12 A/cm² into the atmosphere. The accelerator is capable to operate in a long-term-repetition rate producing up to 40 pulses per second, which is possible due to the use of a built-in system of regeneration and cooling of the transformer oil. The results of shot-to-shot variation of the beam parameters in the repetitive mode are presented.