Status of the diode research programme at AWE

A summary of the status of diode research at the UK Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is presented. AWE has a requirement to develop intense (1000R at 1m), fast duration (50ns) Bremsstrahlung X-ray sources from small areas (<2mm diameter uniformly filled disc equivalent) at high peak energies (>10 MeV). These sources are required to provide high quality transmission radiographic images through thick (hundreds of grams/cm/sup 2/ of lead equivalent density /spl times/ thickness), high atomic number, explosively driven metal systems in a proposed new hydrodynamics research facility. In order to deliver such sources in a cost-effective manner an extensive research programme is being conducted at AWE to increase the current density at which high-energy electron beams can be focussed in electron beam diodes in such flash radiographic sources. The work on improvements to pulsed power facilities and diagnostics at AWE is described in terms of the development of high quality research facilities for high and low impedance diode development. In addition, an overview of the status and direction of research programmes at AWE to look at four diode technologies is presented. Those diode technologies are immersed Bz diode development, paraxial diode development and both self-magnetic and rod-pinch diode development.