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Generation and propagation of high-current low-energy electron beams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2003

V.N. DEVYATKOV
Affiliation:
Institute of High Current Electronics Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk, Russia
N.N. KOVAL
Affiliation:
Institute of High Current Electronics Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk, Russia
P.M. SCHANIN
Affiliation:
Institute of High Current Electronics Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk, Russia
V.P. GRIGORYEV
Affiliation:
Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
T.V. KOVAL
Affiliation:
Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia

Abstract

High-current electron beams with a current density of up to 100 A/cm2 generated by a plasma-cathode gas-filled diode at low accelerating voltages are studied. Two types of gas discharges are used to produce plasma in the cathode. With glow and arc discharges, beam currents of up to 150 A and 400 A, respectively, have been obtained at an accelerating voltage of 16 kV and at a pressure of 1–3·10−2 Pa in the acceleration gap. The ions resulting from ionization of gas molecules by electrons of the beam neutralize the beam charge. The charge-neutralized electron beam almost without losses is transported over a distance of 30 cm in a drift channel which is in the axial magnetic field induced by Helmholtz coils. The results of calculations for the motion of electrons of the charge-neutralized beam with and without axial external field are presented and compared with those of experiments.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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