Objectives and configuration of the Multiple Pulse Propagation Experiment

The Multiple Pulse Propagation Experiment (MPPE) was designed to determine the hose stability properties of an intense relativistic electron beam in a beam generated density channel and to investigate range extension with increasing pulse number in the burst. This experiment used a 10-MeV electron beam generated by the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA). The electron beam current was expected to be at least 6-kA with an equilibrium radius of 0.5 cm (RMS) in the gas. This last constraint implied an unnormalized, RMS beam emittance of 20 mrad-cm. In order to achieve beam stability against hose, each electron beam pulse had to be tailored in emittance in order to phase mix damp the instability. The initial offsets of the beam were to be kept small in order to prevent a large saturated amplitude. Numerical simulations determined the initial criteria for the emittance profile and initial beam displacements. In order to demonstrate a final density depression of 25% of ambient pressure, at least five pulses with interpulse separation of 1- to 2-ms were specified.