Technology demonstration for the DARHT Linear Induction Accelerators
The Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamics Test (DARHT) facility will employ two 16-MeV, 3-kA Linear Induction Accelerators to produce intense, bremsstrahlung x-ray pulses for flash radiography. Technology demonstration of the key accelerator sub-systems is underway at the DARHT Integrated Test Stand (ITS), which will produce a 6-MeV, 3-kA, 60-ns flattop electron beam. We will summarize measurements of ITS injector, pulsed-power, and accelerator cell performance. Time-resolved measurements of the electron beam parameters will also be presented. These measurements indicate that the DARHT accelerator design is sufficiently advanced to provide the high quality electron beams required for radiography with sub-millimeter spatial resolution.
Experimental comparison of various techniques for spot size measurement of high-energy x-ray source
In the experiment of flash-radiography, the quality of acquired image strongly depends on the focal size of the x-ray source spot. A variety of techniques based on imaging of pinhole, slit and rollbar are adopted to measure the focal spot size of the Dragon-I linear induction accelerator. The image of pinhole provides a two-dimensional distribution of the x-ray spot, while those of slit and rollbar give a line-spread distribution and an edge-spread distribution, respectively. The spot size characterized by full-width at half-maximum and that characterized by the LANL definition are calculated for comparison.
rPET detectors design and data processing
Small animal PET systems based on rotating planar detectors posses some interesting advantages for high sensitivity, high resolution imaging. We have designed the rPET detectors based on MLS crystals assembled on a 30times30 matrix optically coupled to a flat-panel PS-PMT. Weighted position readout circuits pre-process the 64 signals from the 8times8 anodes matrix, which are digitized using a charge-integrating converter. The amplification electronics, including the trigger output for coincidence detection, and the high voltage supply are integrated in a three PCBs stack that forms the base attached to the back of the PMT. The whole assembly is enclosed in a light tight, lead (Pb) shielded aluminum box. The detectors are mounted on a rotating gantry with more than 180 degrees rotation span. The digitized events are screened and histogramed, and a modified center of gravity algorithm removes from the position calculation those signals with poor signal to noise ratio. Apparent mean crystal size on the 511 keV field-flood images is 0.6 mm, mean peak-to-valley ratio is better than 8, and intrinsic resolution is 1.5 mm at the central row, with the energy window wide open. Sensitivity (CPS) for a pair of these detectors set in coincidence at 160 mm distance is 1%