Dual Triggered Beam Extraction Kicker (Rev. 1)

Abstract

A Blumlein modulator is a relatively inexpensive pulsed power device that can deliver highly repeatable pulses that can be used to change the path of beam pulses. The modulator is primarily built with transmission line cable which is relatively inexpensive. Due to the highly repeatable nature of a Blumlein modulator it is a great tool for kicking beam pulses while producing very little spill or losses in beam current. One of the challenges with a Blumlein kicker is that the length of the kicking pulse output by the modulator is determined by the length of the cables. Cable lengths are set prior to implementation for the desired kicking pulse width. The Blumlein modulator at LANSCE uses a single thyratron which can deliver two 50-kilovolt 1,000-amp pulses of opposite polarity to kicking plates at the same time. This method makes for a very strong kick that is highly repeatable. A method that has been discussed, to deliver a different pulse width, is to add a second trigger that would be fired, once the desired pulse width has been delivered, cutting out the remaining pulse. The second trigger would offer a lot of variability with the pulse width of the kicker. This method has only ever been attempted using low current and relatively low voltages compared to the scale needed to properly kick a beam pulse. This in turn allows for the use of power supplies with a higher repetition rate. The advancement of this standard kicker technology in the accelerator facilities would attract attention within the scientific and engineering communities. The project detailed within will investigate the capabilities of different triggering topologies and design a prototype dual triggered Blumlein kicker modulator capable of variable kicking pulse width.