Design and power flow studies of a 500-TW inductive voltage adder (IVA) accelerator

We present a preconceptual design for a 500-TW pulsed power accelerator capable of delivering 15-MJ kinetic energy into an imploding plasma radiation source (PRS). The HERMES-III technology of linear inductive voltage addition in a self-magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) is utilized to generate the 8-10 MV peak voltage required for an efficient plasma implosion. The 50- to 60-MA current is achieved by utilizing many accelerating modules in parallel. The modules are connected to a common circular convolute electrode system in the center of which is located an imploding foil plasma radiation source. This accelerator produces no electron beam since the total current from the voltage adders (IVAs) to the inductive load flows on the surface of metallic conductors or nearby in the form of electron sheath. In this paper we outline the accelerator's conceptual design with emphasis on the power flow and coupling to the inductive load of the center section of the device.