A Characterization and Optimization Study of Gamble II as an X-Ray Bremsstrahlung Source

The adverse effects of radiation on solid state devices are strongly spectrum dependent. It is thus essential that the radiation spectrum from flash x-ray sources be available when they are used as facilities for testing electronic components. This paper describes a preliminary study in which previously developed computer codes were used to calculate the radiation spectrum produced by NRL's Gamble II pulsed power generator. To determine how well the calculated spectrum matched the experimental one, doses in CaF2-Mn TLD's were computed for the dosimeters placed behind various thicknesses of Cu and Pb filters and compared with the experimentally measured doses. Using a diode model that was consistent with presently understood electron beam behavior, a spectrum was generated which predicted TLD doses to within about 15% of the experimentally measured values.