THE CATHODE TEST STAND FOR THE DARHT SECOND-AXIS

The injector for the DARHT second-axis will use an 8 " thermionic dispenser cathode. Because the cathode is relatively large and requires a large amount of heat (5 kW) there are certain engineering issues that need to be addressed, before the DARHT injector reaches the final design stage. The Cathode Test Stand (CTS) will be used to address those concerns. The CTS is a new facility, presently under construction. The CTS will consist of a high-voltage pulse modulator, a high-vacuum diode test- chamber, and a short beam-transport section with diagnostics. This paper discusses the status of the project.