A Differential Absorpnon Spectrometer For Bremsstrahlung Diode Voltage Measurement

Direct measurement of the diode voltage in a relativistic electron beam generator is difficult, particularly when the diode is downstream from a plasma opening switch. An indirect diode voltage measurement can be inferred from the high energy tail of the bremsstrahlung spectrum generated by the diode. Our spectrometer contains seven 125 /spl mu/m thick silicon pin diode detectors with filters optimized to cover the 0.5 to 2 MV range; the lead filters have thicknesses of 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, and 15 mm, respectively. Theoretical response functions were calculated using the CYLTRAN Monte-Carlo transport code with the next event estimator method. Diode voltage measurements performed with the spectrometer on the PITHON X-ray simulator are in good agreement with the standard electrical measurement.