Using an induction linac, ETA-II, we are studying the interaction of a 2 kA, 6 MeV electron beam focused to a <2 mm diameter spot on high-Z foils. A focus shift was noticed when changing from 5 mil to 40 mil tantalum foil targets. This shift was subsequently attributed to the effect of a substantial fraction of the incident electron beam backscattering from the target, reducing the net beam current. This fraction varies with the thickness and density of the target. The presence and magnitude of the backscattered component was confirmed using Faraday cup collectors and beam- current monitors. Calculations confirm the magnitude of the focus shift is consistent with the observed backscattered fraction.

Desorption and subsequent ionization of the monolayers from the vacuum wall of an accelerator system can have a detrimental effect on the performance of the beam transport system. Ions extracted from the resultant plasma neutralize the spacecharge and dynamically perturb the net focusing forces within the beam. To study the effect, a transparent first foil, presumably with contaminants on the surface, intercepts the beam. Placing an imaging foil tens of centimeters downstream from the first foil allows observation of minor fluxuations in the envelope. Using conducting foil targets, we see no effect unless the beam radius is small enough to damage the foil. Non-conducting foils produce a strong effect.

The DARHT-II beam line utilizes a fast stripline kicker to temporally chop a high current electron beam from a single induction LINAC and deliver multiple temporal electron beam pulses to an x-ray converter target. High beam quality needs to be maintained throughout the transport line from the end of the accelerator through the final focus lens to the x-ray converter target to produce a high quality radiographic image. Issues that will affect beam quality such as spot size and emittance at the converter target include dynamic effects associated with the stripline kicker as well as emittance growth due to the nonlinear forces associated with the kicker and various focusing elements in the transport line. In addition, dynamic effects associated with transverse resistive wall instability as well as gas focusing will affect the beam transport. A particle-in-cell code is utilized to evaluate beam transport in the downstream transport line in DARHT-II. External focusing forces are included utilizing either analytic expressions or field maps. Models for wakefields from the beam kicker, transverse resistive wall instability, and gas focusing are included in the simulation to provide a more complete picture of beam transport in DARHT-II. From these simulations, for various initial beam loadsmore » based on expected accelerator performance the temporally integrated target spot size and emittance can be estimated.« less