The Autoaccelerator - A Generator for Producing a High Energy Intense Relativistic Electron Beam by the Autoacceleration Process

The technology for producing an intense relativistic electron beam with particle energies of less than 10 MeV is higly developed and has been discussed extensively in the literature. Methods of generating intense electron beams with particle energies exceeding 10 MeV are linked with solving complex physics, enginneering and financial problems. A potentially simple and inexpensive approach for generating such a high kinetic energy electron beam is to use autoacceleration processes on a lower voltage beam. The autoacceleration processes are the result of the mutual interaction between the electron beam and passive structures which are inserted in a conventional drift tube. This interaction leads to the redistribution of energy within the beam such that the majority of the electrons transfer their energy to a small portion of the beam. Possible processes for autoacceleration were discussed as early as 1971 especially in the Russian literature. Experiments showed the feasibility of autoacceleration and the problems facing these mechanisms.