Eric F. Preston

MEASUREMENTS OF PROMPT RADIATION INDUCED CONDUCTIVITY OF KAPTON

We performed measurements of the prompt radiation induced conductivity in thin samples of Kapton (polyimide) at the Little Mountain Medusa LINAC facility in Ogden, UT. Three mil samples were irradiated with a 0.5 {mu}s pulse of 20 MeV electrons, yielding dose rates of 1E9 to 1E10 rad/s. We applied variable potentials up to 2 kV across the samples and measured the prompt conduction current. Analysis rendered prompt conductivity coefficients between 6E-17 and 2E-16 mhos/m per rad/s, depending on the dose rate and the pulse width.

A general solution for space-charge limiting in one dimension

Computation of space-charge current-limiting effects across a vacuum cavity between parallel electrodes has previously been carried out only for thermionic emission spectra. In some applications, where the current arises from an injected electron beam or photo-Compton emission from electrode walls, the electron energy spectra may deviate significantly from Maxwellian. Considering the space charge as a collisionless plasma, we derive an implicit equation for the peak cavity potential assuming steady-state currents. For the examples of graphite, nickel, and gold electrodes exposed to x rays, we find that cavity photoemission currents are typically more severely space-charge limited than they would be with the assumption of a purely Maxwellian energy distribution.

Prompt radiation-induced conductivity in polyurethane foam and glass microballoons

We performed measurements and analyses of the prompt radiation-induced conductivity (RIC) in thin samples of polyurethane foam and glass microballoon foam at the Little Mountain Medusa LINAC facility in Ogden, UT. The RIC coefficient was non-linear with dose rate for polyurethane foam; however, typical values at 1E11 rad(si)/s dose rate was measured as 0.8E-11 mho/m/rad/s for 5 lb./cu ft. foam and 0.3E-11 mho/m/rad/s for 10 lb./cu ft. density polyurethane foam. For encapsulated glass microballoons (GMB) the RIC coefficient was approximately 1E-15 mho/m/rad/s and was not a strong function of dose rate.

Measurements of prompt radiation induced conductivity in Teflon (PTFE).

We performed measurements of the prompt radiation induced conductivity (RIC) in thin samples of Teflon (PTFE) at the Little Mountain Medusa LINAC facility in Ogden, UT. Three mil (76.2 microns) samples were irradiated with a 0.5 %CE%BCs pulse of 20 MeV electrons, yielding dose rates of 1E9 to 1E11 rad/s. We applied variable potentials up to 2 kV across the samples and measured the prompt conduction current. Details of the experimental apparatus and analysis are reported in this report on prompt RIC in Teflon.

Measurements of prompt radiation induced conductivity of alumina and sapphire

We performed measurements of the prompt radiation induced conductivity in thin samples of Alumina and Sapphire at the Little Mountain Medusa LINAC facility in Ogden, UT. Five mil thick samples were irradiated with pulses of 20 MeV electrons, yielding dose rates of 1E7 to 1E9 rad/s. We applied variable potentials up to 1 kV across the samples and measured the prompt conduction current. Analysis rendered prompt conductivity coefficients between 1E10 and 1E9 mho/m/(rad/s), depending on the dose rate and the pulse width for Alumina and 1E7 to 6E7 mho/m/(rad/s) for Sapphire.

An approach to understanding avalanche statistics in mean‐field driven threshold systems

Driven threshold models that produce complex histories of avalanches are used to simulate the dynamics of many complex interacting systems, such as earthquake generating faults and neural networks. A mean-field model may be formulated in a way that makes avalanches Abelian, so the final size of the avalanche depends only on the initial conditions, not the algorithm. If the initial stress distribution is statistically stationary, the avalanche size distribution is generated by the first intersection of a random process with a curvilinear boundary. Solutions show that such mean-field models are never truly critical, but always exhibit dissipation or finite-size effects.