The Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA), a 50-MeV, 10-kA Induction Linac

The ATA is an induction accelerator designed to produce 70 ns pulses of electrons at currents of 10 kA and energies in excess of 50 MeV. The accelerator is capable of operating at an average rate of 5 Hz or at 1 kHz for ten pulses. The parameters were chosen primarily to provide the experimental basis for advancing the understanding of electron beam propagation physics. The 85 m accelerator has been under construction for the past four years and has adopted mainly an improved version of the ETA technology to satisfy the required parameters. Initial operation of the facility and the energy conversion system from primary power to axial electric field will be described; recent advances in magnetic switching which have been incorporated in the injector will also be discussed.