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We describe a current viewing resistor {CVR) which measures current in magnetically insulated feeds (MITLs) of pulsed power accelerators. The advantage of a CVR for this application is that, by keeping the feed geometry smooth, it does not disturb the electron space-charge flow in the gap. In this paper we review the transient behavior of CVRs associated with diffusion of magnetic field in the sensing element, the errors introduced in the measurement by joule heating, a CVR design that minimizes this error, and measurements with a CVR in an MITL environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

EAGLE is an experimental pulse generator designed and built at Physics International Company (PI) for research in high-power switching, pulse compression, power flow, magnetic insulation, and dielectric breakdown. EAGLE is a wedge-shaped 1/20th "slice" (module) of ROULETTE, Pi's conceptual design for a 40 to 50 TW, disk-shaped, modular accelerator designed to drive imploded plasma or particle beam loads- EAGLE's nominal design goals were a 100 ns, 2 TW, 2 MV, 1 MA pulse into a resistive load, or a 150 to 200 ns pulse at lower power. EAGLE has a 0.9 MJ Marx generator and four water-dielectric triplate transmission lines with adjustable impedances. The first line is a gas-switched transfer capacitor. Next are two water-switched pulsed compression stages and an output line converging to either a resistive load or a racetrack-shaped water-vacuum interface. We discuss the ROULETTE conceptual design, describe EAGLE, outline planned research on EAGLE, and summarize some of the program's technology developments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report on the development of a water vacuum interface for the EAGLE facility at Physics International Company. An interesting feature of this insulator is its construction-cast urethane is bonded directly to metal to form a vacuum seal. We report on the mechanical process development, design considerations for EAGLE, and results from experiments on a half-scale prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Diagnostics have been developed for use on superpower generators with fast Z-pinch loads and are used to characterize the electrical power flow and the imploding plasma load. X-ray diagnostics include both grazing incidence grating and crystal spectrographs, an X-ray framing camera, arrays of bare and filtered X-ray diodes, calorimeters, and ruby laser holographic interferometry. Plans include an X-ray radiographie system using the X-ray framing camera and a pulsed X-ray backlighting source. Electrical diagnostics used in the vacuum include a resistive voltage monitor, Rogowski coils, and resistive current shunts. Representative results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]