Thermal sensitive paper as a diagnostic for intense relativistic electron beam dynamics

Thermal sensitive paper has been used as a diagnostic for an intense relativistic electron beam propagating in a rippled magnetic field. The E(r)xB(z) rotation of the beam has been measured from the exposed pattern on the thermal paper and used to calculate the electrostatic field of the beam E(r), and the corresponding values of electron density and beam current. Exposed strips of thermal paper show longitudinal modulation of the radial electron velocity with a period corresponding to that of a rippled magnetic field; modulation of the radial electron velocity at the cyclotron frequency has also been observed.