• S. Nath
  LANL, Los Alamos, New Mexico

The Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility (DARHT) at Los Alamos National Laboratory consists of two linear induction accelerators at right angles to each other. The First Axis, operating since 1999, produces a nominal 20-MeV, 2-kA single beam-pulse with 60-nsec width. In contrast, the DARHT Second Axis, operating since 2008, produces up to four pulses in a variable pulse format by slicing micro-pulses out of a longer 1.6-microseconds (flat-top) pulse of nominal beam-energy and -current of 17 MeV and 2 kA respectively. Bremsstrahlung radiation, shining on a hydro-dynamical experimental device, is produced by focusing the electron beam-pulses onto a high-Z target. Variable pulse-formats allow for adjustment of the pulse-to-pulse doses to record a time sequence of x-ray images of the explosively driven imploding mock device. In this talk, we present a sampling of the numerous physics and engineering challenges encountered and the solutions thereof that led to the present fully operational dual axes capability. First successful simultaneous use of both the axes for a hydrodynamic experiment was achieved in 2009.