E-Gun Modulators

Solid-state e-gun modulators drive e-guns across a range of critical linear accelerator applications, such as radiation therapy, high-energy physics, industrial X-ray, sterilization, and cargo inspection.

Stangenes Industries provides Vor e-gun modulators that use an FPGA-controlled 18-stage Marx generator topology with solid-state IGBT switches. Vor delivers highly resistive and capacitive loads through stable pulse flat-tops. This single-box system provides high repetition rates, high pulse-to-pulse voltage resolution, and air insulation instead of oil. Without an oil containment system, we can put the transformer into the modulator box, an advantage that sets us apart from other e-gun modulator suppliers. If needed, two-box configurations—one for the transformer and the other for the modulator—are available.

Read on to learn more about our e-gun modulators, including their benefits and applications.

What Is an E-Gun Modulator?

An electron gun, or e-gun, is a tool in some microwave vacuum tubes used to emit narrow, collimated electron beams with precise kinetic energy. It is commonly found in klystrons, traveling wave tubes, inductive output tubes, and gyrotrons. E-guns are also in particle accelerator facilities, where the e-gun continually emits electron beams that can be accelerated around the particle accelerator. The e-gun modulator is responsible for varying the power of the beams coming from the e-gun.

E-gun modulators are capable of precisely regulating e-guns with up to 30 kW in power and 30 kV in voltage. Our modulators come in either single-box configurations or split designs that feature a separate pulse unit and tank unit.

Benefits of E-Gun Modulators

Our reliable e-gun modulators offer numerous benefits, such as:

  • Air insulation in lieu of oil insulation
  • Smaller packages
  • Lighter weight
  • Increased agility
  • Ability to produce a greater number of pulses per second
  • Greater pulse width
  • Higher frequency
  • One- or two-box configurations

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Applications of E-Gun Modulators

Many applications rely on e-gun modulators, including:

High Energy Physics

Linear accelerators (linacs) frequently use e-guns for medical physics, research, and industrial applications. Most of these applications use thermionic emission to produce electron beams, but they may also use other generation methods when needed. As the next generation of linacs develops, engineers continue to work on developing high-energy thermionic e-guns that can handle more demanding duty cycles and vacuum requirements.

Radiation Therapy

Medical applications often use medical e-guns as components of FLASH radiotherapy electron accelerators to produce sufficiently high currents. For instance, a facility may need an e-gun capable of reaching currents up to 15A with an EIMAC Y824 cathode.

Cargo Inspection

E-guns play a role in X-ray scanning systems, such as those used in customs ports to inspect cargo for any potential contraband, weapons, or nuclear materials. Today, a growing number of X-ray scanners are using e-guns and e-gun modulators for linac cargo inspection systems.

Industrial X-Ray

Industrial X-ray systems may use two types of electrons: conventional high-energy electrons or X-ray-converted electrons. High-energy electrons are adequate for irradiating thin or low-density items. Electrons can also be converted to X-rays by a plate of tantalum, tungsten, or other high-Z converter materials. The efficiency of the conversion only increases by a few percentage points, but the X-rays are highly penetrable.

Sterilization

Since the 1960s, medical facilities have increasingly relied on electron beam sterilization because of its minimal emissions, high efficiency, and overall safety. This form of sterilization deactivates microbes on medical devices through the use of beta-radiation particles from e-gun systems.

E-Gun Modulators by Stangenes

Stangenes Industries provides reliable e-gun modulators in one-box or two-box configurations to meet your application’s unique requirements. We offer both standard and custom solutions based on each customer’s needs, with a team of experts lending years of collective experience to each project.

Our Vor e-gun modulators offer high-voltage electron beam generation for medical, military, and industrial applications, with solutions available for specialty systems. We’ll help you make the right selection from our standard inventory or develop an entirely tailored product to meet your specifications.

Request a quote today to speak with our experts about a solution for your application.

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