Project Sherwood is a nation-wide attempt to produce a controlled thermo-nuclear fusion reaction. The Astron experiment, conceived by Nicholas Christofilos, will utilize the effects of a cylindrical layer of relativistic electrons to contain and heat the plasma. A high quality, 200-ampere, 5-Me V electron beam is required to form the electron layer. The electron beam is produced by a linear induction electron accelerator. Three hundred and thirty-three toroidal cores of magnetic material surround an evacuated ceramic accelerating column. The electrons are accelerated by the transverse electric field produced by the changing flux. The magnetic cores are tape-wound toroids of .001", 50% Ni - 50% Fe. Two hundred eighty-eight cores are 24" o.d. x 8-1/2" i. d. x 1/2" thick and the remaining forty-five are 33" o. d. x 18" i. d. x 1/2" thick. Each core is required to support 16 kG for 0.4 psec. The choice of magnetic material was made by testing all available material for the required parameters. Results of these tests are presented.

The theory of the hydrodynamic origin of cosmic rays proposed by Johnson and the author (Colgate) has developed to the point where the final evolution of a star to the supernova instability and subsequent explosion can be described with sufficient detail such that cosmic rays with appropriate intensity, composition, and spectrum to account for observations are a logical and necessary result. In the first publication it was pointed out that nuclei in the surface of the star may acquire many orders or magnitude more than the average energy per particle released in the explosion because of the large ratio of matter density between the core and the outer mantle. A shock from a sudden pressure increase in the core intensifies as it advances into lower-density material, thereby imparting extreme relativistic energies to the outermost layers. The shock wave was assumed on the basis that the observed explosion occurred in a time short compared to the traversal time of sound across the dimensions of the star. It was argued without proof that an adiabatic process would be inconsistent with the accepted gravitational instability as the trigger mechanism. In an attempt to confirm this supposition we extend the hydrodynamic calculations to describe …

This scaler was designed to replace an obsolescent tube design that was in general use at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore. The new design, using solid state devices and printed circuit modules, allows two complete scalers in one frame to occupy the same rack space as the tube design. Switches in the input circuits of the new scaler change input impedance and sensitivity for operation with either tube or transistor circuits. The use of transistors has greatly increased reliability, and has also reduced power by a factor of fifteen. Modular construction of all circuits, including the power supply, minimizes down time since all modules are replaceable without removing the scaler from its rack. Reliability, then cost, were the criteria dictating choice of components and circuits in the scaler design.