Revision of (sub)nanosecond pulser for IRI Van de Graaff electron accelerator aided by field propagation calculations

The shorted air line stub used for subnanosecond pulsing of the grounded-grid cathode gun structure of the IRI 3 MV Van de Graaff electron accelerator is revised. Three-dimensional high-frequency field propagation calculations provide better insight into the performance of different geometrical shapes. Effects on rise- and decay time, and ringing on the output pulses are considered. Practical possibilities for improvement are discussed. Comparison with sampling measurements on several device modifications confirms the reliability of the calculations. The calculation method is subsequently used as design aid for the construction of a "1 ns" device using a quartz loaded shorted stub to fit into the geometry of the existing variable pulse length unit. Capabilities for short pulsing of the accelerator are improved and extended by application of the results obtained.