Commissioning the DARHT-II accelerator

TL;DR

This paper describes the commissioning process of the DARHT-II accelerator, detailing the tuning procedures, diagnostics, and beam parameter measurements that achieved high-quality beam performance in its final configuration.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive account of the commissioning process, including tuning techniques and diagnostic methods for a high-current linear induction accelerator.

Findings

Achieved 2 kA, >17 MeV beam parameters

Maintained pulse flatness within +/- 1% for over 1.6 microseconds

Detailed diagnostics and tuning procedures documented

Abstract

The 74-cell DARHT-II long-pulse linear induction accelerator (LIA) was commissioned in its final configuration in 2007-2008. The final accelerated beam parameters were 2 kA, and greater than 17 MeV in a pulse flat to better than +/- 1% for more than 1.6 micro-s. This report details the tuning of the LIA, diagnostics used, and measurements of the beam parameters.