Optical Spectroscopy of High Intensity Electron Beam Plasmas$^{1}$

This talk will be an overview of spectroscopic results obtained on the RITS-6 accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories on the Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) electron beam diode. The SMP diode produces a focused ($<$3mm diameter), e-beam at 7MeV and 150kA, which is used as an intense, flash x-ray source. During the $\sim $45ns electron beam pulse, plasmas are generated on the electrode surfaces which propagate into the A-K vacuum gap, affecting the diode impedance, x-ray spectrum, and pulse-width. These plasmas are measured using a series of optical diagnostics including: streak cameras, ICCD cameras, and avalanche photodetectors. Visible spectroscopy is used to gather time and space information on these plasmas. Density and temperature calculations are made using detailed, time-dependent, collisional-radiative (CR) and radiation transport modelings. The results are then used in conjunction with hybrid PIC/fluid simulations to model the overall plasma behavior. Details regarding the data collection, system calibration, analyses, and interpretation of results will be presented. \\[4pt] $^{1}$Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.