Determination of Energy and Fluences of Protons Collectively Accelerated in a Luce Diode Accelerator

Abstract

Plates of boron carbide B₄C were used as refractory targets for determination of energy and fluences of protons collectively accelerated in a Luce diode accelerator by control of ⁷Be and ¹³N gamma radioactivity induced by nuclear reactions ¹⁰B(p, α)⁷Be and ¹²C(p, γ)¹³N, respectively. The Luce diode exploited a cylindrical tungsten rod as a cathode and a polyethylene washer as an anode, producing pulsed electron beams with durations and currents of up to 100 ns and 30 kA at voltages of 250 kV. The technique allows controlling proton energies within the range of 500–1500 keV and fluences of up to 5 × 10¹³ protons per cm² per pulse.