Twin electron beam diode design

The feasibility of creating additional radiographic sources using some of the loss current in AWE´s next generation flash x-ray machines is being investigated. Particle in cell simulations of the acceleration region of two paraxial diodes have been modelled using the code LSP. These simulations represent a trial of this system on the pulsed power accelerator EROS, in what is expected to be a challengingly close 80mm axis to axis separation of the two electron beams. The simulations were used to predict that the electron beams could transit the 50mm gap with negligible deviation. The design of the experiments to test this system is then presented. Comparison is made to previous work in which the beams were at significantly greater separation.