AIRIX: an induction accelerator facility developed at CEA for flash radiography in detonics

AIRIX is an induction linear accelerator which will be used for flash radiography in CEA/DAM. Designed to produce an X-ray dose of more than 500 Rads at 1 meter with an X-ray focal spot size diameter of less than 2 mm (LANL-CEA DAM definition), this facility consists in a 4 MeV/3.5 kA pulsed electron injector and 16 MeV induction accelerator powered by 32 high voltage generators. A prototype of this accelerator, called PIVAIR, has been studied and realized in CEA CESTA near Bordeaux. PIVAIR is a validation step for AIRIX at 8 MeV. It includes an injector (4 MeV, 3.5 kA, 60 ns) and 16 inductor cells supplied by 8 high voltage generators (250 kV, 70 ns). Two different technologies of induction cells have been tested (rexolite insulator or ferrite under vacuum). We have chosen ferrite under vacuum cells technology after comparison of results on beam transport and reliability tests. A focusing experiment at 7.2 MeV of the electron beam as been achieved during summer 1997. We have begun to produce X-rays in October 1997. A dose level of 50 Rad at 1 meter has been achieved with an X-ray spot size diameter of 3.5 to 4 mm (LANL-CEA DAM definition). Static flash radiography of very dense object have been achieved from November 97 until February 98. We have been able to test in situ new kinds of very high sensitive X- ray detectors and to check they had reached our very ambitious goals: (1) quantum efficiency at 5 MeV greater than 50% instead of 1% for luminous screens and film; (2) sensitivity less than 10 (mu) Rad (100 time more sensitive than radiographic luminous screens and films); (3) dynamic range greater than 100; (4) resolution less than 2 mm. We will present in this communication brand new kinds of detection systems, called high stopping power detectors, such as: (1) (gamma) camera with segmented thick crystal of BGO and MCP image intensifier; (2) multistep parallel plate avalanche chamber; (3) pixellized CdTe MeV photoconductor matrix. AIRIX accelerator is being built by THOMSON CSF Company in CEA Moronvilliers near Reims. It is housed in a reinforced concrete bunker and has an overall length of 60 meters. The 20 MeV electron beam will be focused on a 1.5 mm thick Tantalum target to produce an X-ray fluence (flux) of more than 500 Rads one meter from the target. The result is a single radiograph of the device explosion under test with the high stopping power detector located in a blast protection set behind the device. In this communication we will present all these techniques which correspond to a significant effort of CEA begun in 1992. AIRIX facility will be available to run detonics experiments before end of 2000.