Measurements of the profile of an intense electron beam

Methods for measuring the profiles of high-power electron beams by using a thin tungsten wire moved transversely to the beam have been developed. In one method, the electron current intercepted by the wire is measured and the beam profile is determined from a solution to the Abel equation under the assumption of axial beam symmetry. The second method is based on the detection of the local radiation emitted by the wire being heated by the beam to 1700–2200 K. The wire is additionally heated by an electric current in order to improve the sensitivity and spatial resolution. The measured beam current density is ∼5–50 A/cm2, and the resolution is ∼0.1 cm.