SYSTEM FOR VELOCITY RATIO MEASUREMENTS OF AN AXIS-ROTATING ELECTRON-BEAM

Abstract

A novel system to measure the ratio of transverse velocity to axial velocity (alpha) of a low voltage, axis-rotating electron beam is described herein. With the system, more information about the beam can be obtained than from the usual slit/phosphor screen system. Since most of the beam is undisturbed before the phosphor screen, the beam radius and azimuthal symmetry can be quantified in combination with the beam alpha along various axial positions. The diagnostic is applied to a Cusptron microwave tube to measure these electron beam parameters which are important for high tube efficiency. Two magnetic field profiles are used to study various causes of low beam quality, while a third profile is used in attempt to maintain a high quality beam. By using the described system, it is shown that the third profile significantly increases beam quality. The system can easily be extended to higher energy beams with an appropriate scintillator.