Z driver post-hole convolute studies utilizing MYKONOS-V voltage adder

The modern high current, high voltage pulsed accelerators utilize vacuum-post-hole convolutes to add the current of a number of parallel self Magnetic Insulated Transmission Lines (MITL) to a single one located very close to the centrally located load. The reason of course of using several parallel MITL's to transfer the current pulse from large, ~1.5 m, radii to the 1-2 cm load is to reduce the transfer inductance. For example, the vacuum chamber of the 24-26-MA Z machine has a 1.45-m radius vacuum section containing four parallel conical MITLs merging into one 6cm radial disc MITL adjacent to the centrally located load via a double post-hole convolute array located at 7.62 cm from the axis. Although special care has been taken to reduce the electrical stresses on the cathode hole surfaces in order to avoid electron emission, substantial current losses, 4-6 MA, are observed most probably due to plasma formation and the unavoidable magnetic nulls. In the proposed experiments we will study the behavior of only one convolute using the MYKONOS-V driver. MYKONOS-V is a Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) voltage adder composed of 5 nominally 1-MA cavities connected in series. The voltage adder radial A-K cavity is deionized water insulated. The experimental set-up is designed in such a way to reach conditions on the convolute very similar to those existing on Z. Most importantly, in contrast to Z, it provides full view of the convolute for optical and spectroscopic imaging and gives the flexibility and freedom to study various options in an effort to reduce the convolute losses without affecting the day-to-day Z experiments. This is going to be a dedicated convolute study experiment. The hardware design, numerical simulations and proposed diagnostics will be presented and discussed.