Harp, A Short Pulse, High Current Electron Beam Accelerator

A 3 MV, 800 kA, 24 ns electron beam accelerator is described and the results of initial switching experiments are discussed. The generator will provide a source for studying the physics of processes leading to electron beam driven, inertially confined fusion. The major components of the accelerator are two diodes with a common anode, twelve oildielectric Blumleins with low jitter (< 2 ns) multichannel switches, three intermediate storage capacitors, a trigger pulse generator and two Marx generators.