Characterization and investigation of the anomalous behavior of the immersed-Bz diode during operation at 4 to 5 MV

The immersed-Bz diode is being developed as a high-brightness, flash x-ray radiography source at Sandia National Laboratories. This diode is a foil-less electron-beam diode with a long, thin, needlelike cathode which is inserted into the bore of a solenoid. The solenoidal magnetic field guides the electron beam emitted from the cathode to the anode while maintaining a small beam radius. The electron beam strikes a thin, high-atomic-number anode and produces forward-directed bremsstrahlung. In addition, electron beam heating of the anode produces surface plasmas allowing ion emission. Two different operating regimes for this diode have been identified: A nominal operating regime where the total diode current is characterized as classically bipolar with stable impedance [see D. C. Rovang et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 113107 (2007)] and an anomalous operating regime characterized by a rapid impedance collapse where the total diode current greatly exceeds the bipolar limit. The operating regimes are approximately...