Efficiency of a planar diode with an explosive emission cathode under the conditions of delayed plasma formation

The energy and current balances in the diode unit of a high-current pulsed electron accelerator (350–500 keV, 60 ns, 250 J per pulse) are compared for an explosive emission cathode (made of graphite, copper, or carbon felt) and a multipoint (graphite or copper) cathode. The planar diode with the continuous cathode is shown to be more efficient in terms of conversion of the applied energy to electron energy (more than 90%) despite a delay in the plasma surface formation. With the impedance of the planar diode matched to the output resistance of the nanosecond generator, the efficiency of the diode does not depend on the time of plasma formation on the cathode. In the case of the graphite cathode, the plasma formation delay reduces the fraction of slow electrons in the forming electron beam and reduces electron losses in anode foil when the beam is extracted from the vacuum space of the diode chamber into the reactor.     

多棒极型触发真空开关极性效应

基于有限元分析软件ANSOFT对触发真空开关触发极附近的静电场分布进行了仿真,并对其工作在不同的极性配置方式下开展了一系列实验。主要研究触发真空开关极性配置方式与导通时延的大小及其分散性的关系,同时分析了静电场对初始等离子体扩散的影响,从而为触发真空开关的结构优化设计提供理论依据。仿真结果表明:当触发极工作在正极性配置下,可以增强触发极附近阴极表面的电场强度,从而有利于阴极斑点的形成,减小导通时延及其分散性,提高其可靠性。实验验证了触发真空开关在正极性配置下的工作可靠性高、时延小,与仿真分析结果一致。     

Reignitions in short vacuum gaps after interruption ofhigh-frequency currents caused by ion bombardment

The internal energy increase of the cathode material during the post arc period as a result of the high electrical field at the cathode surface and the highly energetic ions existing in the vacuum gap is studied in this paper by solving the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy together, with the equation of state of electrode material in the cathode region. Solving the heat conduction equation in the cathode region, the temperature distribution of the cathode material is determined. The results for copper indicate that a breakdown can occur at the cathode surface some 100 ns after current zero depending on the form of the cathode surface inhomogeneities, the steepness of the transient recovery voltage, and the initial plasma distribution in the vacuum gap. These results are in accordance with experimental measurements     

用于真空弧等离子体放电阴极温度场测量的多光谱高温计

阴极表面温度是真空弧等离子体放电过程中一个重要参数,对真空弧等离子体的形成、电极腐蚀预测、热传导以及离子源的寿命都有重要影响。真空弧离子源的阴极具有目标小,放电过程快等特点,其温度的测量,对于时间分辨率和空间分辨率要求都很高,阴极表面温度的测量技术的欠缺,使得仅靠理论解析获得的结果难以得到验证。并且等离子体放电过程中测量仪器极易受到弧光的影响,如何避免放电过程中等离子体的辐射也是采用辐射法测量阴极表面温度要考虑的问题。这无疑给其温度场的测试研究带来困难。针对脉冲真空弧等离子体开展阴极表面温度测试实验有着重要意义,在分析了真空弧等离子体放电特性以及背景辐射特性和等离子体放电阴极测温的实际需求,本文基于高速CCD相机研制了一种新型的多光谱高温计。该高温计采用单色高速CCD相机,主要避免RGB彩色相机不能完全滤除背景辐射的弧光。为使用单色CCD相机实现多光谱辐射测温,设计了高温计的光学系统,该系统采用4孔径分光系统。将4种不同波长的滤光片嵌入到1个滤光片中。该研究设计的高温计可用于2 000~6 000 K的等离子体温度测量。并在中国工程物理研究院电子工程研究所进行现场测试,测试过程中将研制的高温计,通过外部触发形式对等离子体放电过程进行跟踪拍摄,高温计完全拍摄到等离子体放电过程。利用真空弧等离子体金属电极阴极放电的实测数据对高温计进行了验证。实验结果表明,设计的新型多光谱高温计能够用于测量真空弧等离子体放电时阴极温度场信息,测量的温度值低于放电电极的沸点温度,与等离子体放电过程中出现气化现象相符,说明高温计测的是等离子体放电阴极的温度。     

Temperature Dependence of Retrograde Velocity of Vacuum Arcs in Magnetic Fields

Retrograde velocity of vacuum arcs in transverse magnetic fields is known to depend on, among other things, the magnetic induction, the arc current, the electrode spacing, the cathode material, and the cathode surface condition, and was also found to depend on the cathode temperature. Using the optical method, the retrograde velocity was measured as a function of the cathode temperature with copper, aluminum, and stainless steel as cathode materials. The optical measurement shows that by increasing the cathode temperature, the arc velocity decreases. It appears that with the increase in the cathode temperature, the decrease of the arc velocity is related to the increase of the cathode crater radius. The experimentally measured temperature dependence of the retrograde velocity of vacuum arcs can be explained by the ion jet model for retrograde motion of vacuum arcs [10]. The relative decrease of retrograde velocity as a function of the cathode temperature calculated according to this model agrees quantitatively with the reported measurements.     

金属表面镀高分子膜对真空击穿阈值的影响

探索提高金属表面真空击穿阈值的方法,对脉冲功率技术的发展和应用具有重要意义。在金属表面电子发射理论分析的基础上,采用有限元法计算阴极杆表面电场随二极管电压的变化规律,设计了实验系统,并开展了实验研究。实验对比了在脉宽约30 ns、阴极杆与阳极筒间隙12 mm时,钛合金TC4阴极杆在不同种类高分子膜（膜厚30～60 μm）下真空击穿阈值的变化情况。在表面粗糙度R_z（轮廓最大高度）为0.8 μm的TC4阴极杆表面分别镀环氧树脂膜和丙烯酸膜,实验结果表明,镀丙烯酸膜阴极杆的击穿阈值约505 kV/cm,相对于不镀膜阴极杆,击穿场强提高了约20.6%;在表面粗糙度R_z为0.2 μm的TC4阴极杆表面分别镀聚酰亚胺膜和聚醚醚酮膜,实验结果表明,镀聚酰亚胺膜阴极杆的击穿阈值为584 kV/cm,相对于不镀膜阴极杆,击穿场强提高了约28.1%。因此,在金属表面镀丙烯酸膜、聚酰亚胺膜可以有效提高金属表面的真空击穿阈值。     

From Field Emission to Vacuum Arc Ignition: A New Tool for Simulating Copper Vacuum Arcs

Understanding plasma initiation in vacuum arc discharges can help to bridge the gap between nano‐scale triggering phenomena and the macroscopic surface damage caused by vacuum arcs. We present a new twodimensional particle‐in‐cell tool to simulate plasma initiation in direct‐current (DC) copper vacuum arc discharges starting from a single, strong field emitter at the cathode. Our simulations describe in detail how a sub‐micron field emission site can evolve to a macroscopic vacuum arc discharge, and provide a possible explanation for why and how cathode spots can spread on the cathode surface. Furthermore, the model provides us with a prediction for the current and voltage characteristics, as well as for properties of the plasma like densities, fluxes and electric potentials in a simple DC discharge case, which are in agreement with the known experimental values. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

爆炸电子发射初期阴极表面电场的研究

为了研究二极管爆炸电子发射初始阶段阴极表面复杂的物理现象及规律, 建立了由场致电子发射阴极构成的一维平板真空二极管物理模型,通过自行编程数值求解泊松方程, 考虑了发射出的电子对阴极表面电场的非线性影响,自洽模拟得到了阴极表面电场随时间的变化情况. 模拟结果表明,爆炸电子发射初期,阴极表面电场随时间的增加而呈现出不断振荡的规律, 且振荡幅度越来越小,最终到达一个稳态的值,二极管两极板之间的外加电场越大, 阴极表面稳态电场的绝对值越大;电场增强系数越大,阴极表面稳态电场的绝对值越大. 在整个时间演变过程中,阴极表面的实际电场强度决定着阴极发射的电流密度大小, 反过来阴极发射的电流密度又会影响到阴极表面的电场.     

真空弧放电TiH合金阴极表面形貌分析

TiH合金电极是一种含氢量非常高的金属材料,用它作真空弧离子源的电极,可在真空环境下产生强度非常高的氢离子流。相比纯金属材料电极,TiH电极除了出现真空弧放电特有的融蚀现象外,还存在气体释放过程,所以它的表面形貌具有一定的独特性。利用扫描电子显微镜观察了单次放电和多次放电后阴极表面形貌,发现阴极斑在阴极表面微裂纹附近连续分布,气体释放生成很多小孔,使阴极斑区域呈絮状结构;弧流越大,阴极斑数量越多;多次放电后,阴极斑朝含氢量多的地方移动。该结果有助于了解含氢电极的真空弧放电过程,对该类放电的应用具有一定参考意义。     

High current electron beam generation in a vacuum transient hollowcathode discharge

Experimental observations are presented of prebreakdown electron beam generation in a transient hollow cathode discharge (THCD) in a vacuum. The discharge driver consists of a 400-kV maximum voltage, 25-nF Marx operated at 450-J stored energy coupled to a 120-ns, 1.5-Ω coaxial line. Electron beams with peak currents up to tens of kA are observed when a pulsed Nd:YAG laser is used to produce a plasma at the back of the cathode surface, inside the hollow cathode region (HCR). It is found that a plasma density of a few 10¹⁸ cm^-3 in a volume of a few mm³ is required to generate intense electron beams. Optimal conditions are determined by varying the position of the laser focal spot inside the HCR and the time delay between the laser and the applied voltage. The main features of the electron beams are similar to those observed in conventional THCD at pressures in the 10-200 mtorr range     

GaAs光电阴极激活后的表面势垒评估研究

根据阴极制备过程中单独Cs激活和Cs-O交替激活两个阶段产生的光电流的峰值比,结合对电子穿过表面单势垒和双势垒后能量分布的理论曲线,提出了一种评估NEA GaAs光阴极表面势垒参数的新方法.利用该方法研究的结果完全符合双偶极层模型理论,并且和对实测阴极电子能量分布曲线拟合的结果非常一致.该方法简单、有效,在不增加测试手段的前提下,丰富了对NEA GaAs光电阴极激活效果及表面特征评价的方法和途径. 关键词： GaAs 光电阴极 表面势垒 能量分布     

GaAs光电阴极激活时Cs的吸附效率研究

从NEA GaAs光电阴极的激活光电流曲线发现,当系统真空度不很高时,在首次Cs激活阶段,表面掺杂浓度较低的阴极材料,其光电流产生需要的时间也较长.同时,随着系统真空度的提高,这种时间上的差异又变得不再明显.该现象表明,Cs原子在阴极表面的吸附效率同表面层掺杂浓度以及系统真空度之间有直接的联系.为定量分析这种关系,本文根据实验数据建立了Cs在阴极表面吸附效率的数学模型,利用该模型仿真的结果同实验现象非常符合.该研究对进一步开展变掺杂阴极结构设计和制备工艺研究具有重要的价值和意义. 关键词： GaAs光电阴极 吸附效率 真空度 表面掺杂浓度     

Acceleration of a multicomponent plasma in the cathode region of a vacuum arc

A general solution to the problem of the steady-state spherical expansion of a current-carrying multicomponent plasma into a vacuum is derived. It is shown that, in vacuum arc discharges, the main force accelerating the cathode material, which becomes a plasma at distances of 1 to 300 μm from the cathode surface, is the electron pressure gradient force maintained by Joule heating. It is established that ions of different charges move with the same hydrodynamic velocity, which is uniquely determined by the mass and mean charge of the ions and the maximum electron temperature in the cathode region.     

Use of a liquid-metal cathode in high-vacuum studies of electric breakdown

Studies of electric breakdown in a high vacuum involving liquid-metal (mercury and gallium) cathodes, whose surfaces are stabilized by centrifugal forces, have shown that an increase in the angular velocity at which the experimental apparatus rotates causes an increase in the breakdown field; the mechanism for the vacuum breakdown is found to be independent of the voltage across the electrodes. According to the Frenkel theory, vacuum breakdown results from a disruption of the steady state on the liquid-cathode surface in an electric field. Drops of liquid metal on the anode degrade the dielectric properties of the vacuum gap. Under these conditions, the breakdown mechanism becomes dependent on the voltage across the electrodes. Oxide films on the cathode surface also degrade the dielectric properties of the vacuum gap. It is suggested that the dielectric may be charged by positive ions emitted from the cathode.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii Fizika, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 44–49, April, 1969.     

Relation between space-charge-limiting current and electric field enhancement factor at curved surface cathode

A two-dimensional solution of space-charge-limiting current for a high current vacuum diode with a spherical cathode is presented. The relation between space-charge-limiting current and electric field enhancement factor at the cathode surface for the diode with a curved surface cathode is also discussed. It is shown that compared with the current given by the conventional Child—Langmuir law, which describes the one-dimensional space-charege-limiting current, the two-dimensional space-charge-limiting current in such a diode is enhanced due to the electric-field enhancement along the cathode surface. Among practical parameter ranges, enhancement factor η_b approximately satisfies η_b ≈ Aβⁿ, where β is the electric field enhancement factor at the cathode surface, and n is a constant between 1 and 2, which is confirmed to be universal for the diodes with curved surface cathodes.     

轴对称真空二极管空间电荷限制流

基于ArcPIC代码采用PIC-MCC方法,模拟研究了轴对称真空二极管放电时电子密度和阴极表面场强分布情况,同时给出了二维空间电荷限制流的一阶和二阶拟合公式。研究发现,真空二极管放电时阴极表面电场会随阴极注入电流密度的增加而增加,而后出现振荡并趋于一个稳定状态;二维空间电荷限制流密度值随阴极发射半径的增大而减小,且阴极发射半径越大越接近一维空间电荷限制流值。     

多碱阴极光电发射机理研究

通过比较有Cs-Sb表面层多碱阴极和未有Cs-Sb表面层多碱阴极的荧光谱,发现有Cs-Sb表面层多碱阴极的荧光谱峰值波长向短波方向“蓝移”以及荧光峰增强的现象.这一现象表明在多碱阴极Na2KSb基层上制作Cs-Sb表面层之后,不仅多碱阴极的逸出功降低,而且 Na2KSb基层的结构也发生了变化.这意味着在相同功率和相同频率入射光照射下,经过表面Cs-Sb处理的Na2KSb基层能够产生更多的跃迁电子并且跃迁能级更高,逸出表面的机率更大,获得的阴极灵敏度更高.这表明Cs-Sb表面层既具有表面效应,又具有体效应.要进一步提高多碱阴极的灵敏度,除进一步降低多碱阴极的逸出功外,还需进一步提高Na2KSb基层的性能,使相同功率和频率的入射光能产生更多的跃迁电子,并且跃迁的能级更高,这就需要进一步改进工艺,提高Na2KSb材料的性能.     

Cathode spot dynamics on pure metals and composite materials inhigh-current vacuum arcs

An investigation has been carried out of cathode spot dynamics in a triggered vacuum arc in a demountable chamber. A rectangular current pulse of 1-5 kA, 1-5 ms has been used. Sufficient statistics were collected. The expansion of a cathode spot ring on a clean, pure metal surface was corroborated to be a retrograde movement in the self-magnetic field which obeys the same law as the movement of a single spot in an external magnetic field. The influence of a contact gap of 0.5-8 mm and current on the dynamics of cathode spots was investigated. The gap dependence of the proportional coefficient between the spot velocity and magnetic field in the case of a pure copper cathode was obtained. A phenomenon was discovered, where a group of cathode spots form in the short arcs on the CuCr cathodes after a transition diffuse arc stage. The follow-up investigation revealed that a close interrelation exists between the cathode and anode processes in short arcs. This interrelation is responsible for the appearance of the discovered phenomenon. Short-circuit performance tests conducted for a commercial vacuum interrupter proved cathode spot group formation to be responsible for the interruption failure at short contact gaps     

Motion of the cathode spot of a vacuum arc in an external magnetic field

The problem of the motion of the cathode spot of a vacuum arc electrical discharge in a magnetic field applied tangential to the cathode surface is considered. The treatment is based on concepts of the nonstationary, cyclical nature of processes occurring in the cathode spot and the key role of return electrons falling out of the near-cathode plasma back onto the cathode. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 60–64 (June 1998)     

热阴极径向温度非均匀性对本征发射度的影响

从热发射理论出发,推导了非均匀发射阴极的均方根本征发射度的一般计算形式。针对一种最常见的温度径向分布近似模型,给出了均方根发射度随温度非均匀性变化趋势的理论数值解。基于有限差分法粒子仿真技术统计了热阴极的本征发射度,仿真结果与理论解一致,验证了非均匀发射热阴极本征均方根发射度一般形式的正确性。结果表明,径向温度非均匀性引起均方根发射度显著变化,非均匀系数为10%时引起均方根发射度下降约15%。本文建立的理论形式和仿真方法可以有效评估束流品质控制目标和工程热设计之间的依赖关系,以指导高效费比的工程设计。