Diffraction effects in low-energy electron emission

The origin of diffraction peaks in the energy distribution of intensity of low-energy (< 1000 eV) electron emission from crystals is discussed from the standpoint of the dynamical theory of diffraction. The emitted electrons are considered to originate at relatively incoherent point sources in the crystal. The two-beam approximation of dynamical theory is used. The theory accounts for the chief regularities of diffraction peaks: temperature-dependence of peak intensities like that for low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) peaks, correlation of peak energies with X-ray absorption fine structure, and correlation of peak energies with the energies of normal-incidence LEED peaks in specular reflection. It is shown that the conditions for diffraction peaks coincide with the conditions for emergence of Kikuchi lines. It is predicted that for energies just above those of diffraction peaks, such emergences should be observable in the angular distribution of emission as intensity minima for emission along low-index crystal axes. Theory of Kikuchi band profiles is developed in an Appendix.     

Correlation of electron self-energy with geometric structure in low-energy electron diffraction

In low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) studies of surface geometries where the energy dependence of the intensities is analyzed, the in-plane lattice parameter of the surface is usually set to a value determined by x-ray diffraction for the bulk crystal. In cases where it is not known, for instance in films that are incommensurate with the substrate, it is desirable to fit the in-plane lattice parameters in the same analysis as the perpendicular interlayer spacings. We show that this is not possible in a conventional LEED I(E) analysis because the inner potential, which is typically treated as an adjustable parameter, is correlated with the geometrical structure. Therefore, without having prior knowledge of the inner potential, it is not possible to determine the complete surface structure simply from LEED I(E) spectra, and the in-plane lattice parameter must be determined independently before the I(E) analysis is performed. This can be accomplished by establishing a more precise experimental geometry. Further, it is shown that the convention of omitting the energy dependency of the real part of the inner potential means geometrical LEED results cannot be trusted beyond a precision of approximately 0.01 ?.     

Experimental study of the neutron emission mechanisms in a Filippov-type plasma focus device

The results of an experimental investigation of neutron emission characteristics in the Filippov-type plasma focus facility Dena (90 kJ, 25 kV, 288 µF) with D₂ + %1 Kr as working gas are presented. From the experimental results, one can conclude that both thermonuclear and nonthermonuclear mechanisms are always present in neutron production, but their contributions to the total neutron yield are strongly dependent on the initial pressure and discharge voltage. It has been found that at constant discharge voltages and low pressures the beam—target interaction mechanism plays an important role in the neutron production and with increasing the pressure, its role decreases and the importance of thermonuclear mechanism increases. Also at constant pressures, the contribution of beam—target interaction mechanism in neutron production decreases with increasing the discharge energy. The value of the index in the empirical neutron yield scaling law Y_n I E^/2 was found to be about 3.82.     

Attenuation and escape depths of low-energy electron emission

Electron transport and emission is simulated by two Monte Carlo (MC) programs. The first version is based on elastic Mott cross sections and inelastic loss functions with full dispersion ΔE=ℏω(q), including electron impact and subsequent cascading processes. Surface effects like surface plasmons and the quantum mechanical surface transmittivity have been taken into account too. Especially for dielectric materials like SiO₂ and applied electric fields a second MC version is developed based on the electron scattering with acoustic and optical phonons, intra- and intervalley scattering and impact valence band ionization. A comparison of both versions results in a good agreement still in the energy region of several eV, but a predominance of the phonon-based second version is found for very low electron energies, e.g., for hot and ballistic electrons in dielectric materials.     

Infrared emission from surfaces under low-energy electron impact

The infrared photon emission from metal surfaces stimulated by the impact of low-energy electrons of kinetic energies between 0–10 eV has been measured. The results are presented as isochromat spectra from clean Ag and Na surfaces under different temperatures. Some IR emission features have been associated tentatively with inverse photoemission processes.     

Scattered ionizing radiations from low-energy focus plasma and radiation dosimetery assessment

Scattered ionizing radiation emissions from a low-energy plasma focus (0.1 kJ Mather-type) device operating with different gases were studied. The plasma focus device was powered by a capacitor bank of 1 μF at 18 kV maximum charging voltage. The radiation emissions were investigated using time-integrated thermoluminescence TLD-500. These detectors were calibrated against standard X-ray machine as well as standard γ sources (⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Ca). Calibration of detectors showed linear relation over all the region of measurements. It was found that radiation levels would be minimum for different gases, when the gas pressure was between 0.5 and 0.8 Torr. Only helium deviated from this phenomenon as it gave maximum radiation level at 0.8 Torr pressure. It was also found that, for all the gases used, the radiation levels were maximum when the applied voltage was 15 keV.     

Low-impedance plasma systems for generation of high-current low-energy electron beams

The results of experimental investigation and numerical modeling of the generation of low-energy (tens of keV) high-current (up to tens of kA) electron beams in a low-impedance system consisting of a plasma-filled diode with a long plasma anode, an auxiliary hot cathode, and an explosive emission cathode. The low-current low-voltage beam from the auxiliary cathode in an external longitudinal magnetic field is used to produce a long plasma anode, which is simultaneously the channel of beam transportation by residual gas ionization. The high-current electron beam is formed from the explosive emission cathode placed in the preliminarily formed plasma. Numerical modeling is performed using the KARAT PIC code.     

X-Ray-induced low-energy electron emission from solids (one-dimensional theoretical model)

The effect of the solid surface on the X-ray induced low-energy electron emission is analysed, using the formalism of the general scattering theory, by means of an approach, called by us the ‘diagonalisation method’. Explicit analytical expressions and numerical results, obtained in the one-dimensional approximation, show great sensitivity of the shape of electron emission spectra near the threshold to the surface potential barrier height and to the presence of the amorphous ‘transition’ layer.     

Neutron emission from a 100 joule plasma focus

A neutron yield of } 5×10⁵ D-D neutrons/discharge was obtained when 0.1 KJ of energy was pumped into a plasma focus of Mather type. The neutron yield was measured by a high sensitivity silver activation counter. The results are compared with those of other laboratories and it is found that neutron yield scales asE ^1.73 orI ^4.29 in the 0.1–500 KJ region.     

Electrode effects on the neutron spectrum of a plasma focus

End-on neutron spectra of a plasma focus were measured by the time-of-flight method. Using an inner electrode with a specially shaped cavity instead of the normal solid or hollow electrodes caused the maximum of the neutron spectrum to shift from 2.66 MeV to 2.85 MeV. It is attempted to explain the effect by the interaction of the electrode, or the impurities emitted by it, with the compressed plasma.     

Dynamic plasma screening effects on low-energy bremsstrahlung emission in nonideal plasmas

The dynamic screening effects on the low-energy electron–ion bremsstrahlung process are investigated for both the soft and hard photon radiations in nonideal plasmas. The impact-parameter analysis is employed to obtain the bremsstrahlung radiation cross section as a function of the impact parameter, projectile energy, radiation photon energy, thermal energy, and Debye length. The results show that the dynamic screening effect on the bremsstrahlung radiation is found to be more significant for distant encounters. In addition, the dynamic screening effect is found to be more important for the soft photon radiation and decreases with increasing the radiation photon energy.     

激光能量对激光诱导Cu等离子体特征辐射强度、电子温度的影响

利用Nd:YAG激光(波长1 064 nm,脉宽10 ns)烧蚀金属Cu靶获得等离子体 .改变激光脉冲能量,观测到Cu的原子谱线和离子谱线随激光脉冲能量有不同的变化关系, 但都在330 mJ/pulse时,谱线强度达到最大,随后在330 mJ～370 mJ/pulse间出现一小平台 ,能量继续增加,各谱线强度减小.同时,使用烧蚀Cu靶产生的五条原子谱线(465.11 nm,5 10.55 nm,515.32 nm,521.82 nm,529.25 nm)的相对强度,在局部热力学平衡近似下,利用B oltzmann图的最小二乘法拟合,测定了不同激光能量下Cu等离子体的电子温度.随激光能量的增加,电子温度近似单调地从1.02×104 K上升到1.46×104 K后,反而有所下降.     

Correlation of the neutron yield from the plasma focus upon variations in the magnetic field energy of the discharge circuit

The relation between neutron yield Y and magnetic field energy variations ΔW in the discharge circuit has been studied for a Mather-type plasma-focus camera. The activation technique (activation of silver isotopes) has been used to measure the integral yield of DD neutrons from the source. The time dependence of the neutron yield has been recorded by scintillation detectors. For the device used in the investigations, the neutron yield exhibits a linear dependence on variations in the magnetic field energy ΔW in the discharge circuit at the instant of neutron generation. It is also found that this dependence is related to the initial deuteron pressure in the discharge chamber.     

Interaction of cathode plasma with the cathode surface in an electron source with explosive electron emission

The interaction of the plasma formed at emission centers of an electron source using explosive electron emission with the cathode surface is studied. It is found that the plasma flux does not flow around obstacles located in its path and is effectively deionized upon incidence on the wall.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 26–29, November, 1981.     

Electron temperature fluctuation in the HT-7 Tokamak plasma observed by electron cyclotron emission imaging

The fluctuation of the electron temperature has been measured by using the electron cyclotron emission imaging in the Hefei Tokamak-7 (HT-7) plasma. The electron temperature fluctuation with a broadband spectrum shows that it propagates in the electron diamagnetic drift direction, and the mean poloidal wave-number $\bar{k}_{\theta}$is calculated to be about 1.58 cm^-1, or \bar{k}_θ ρ_s≈ 0.34. It indicates that the fluctuation should come from the electron drift wave turbulence. The linear global scaling of the electron temperature fluctuation with the gradient of electron temperature is consistent with the mixing length scale qualitatively. Evolution of spectrum of the fluctuation during the sawtooth oscillation phases is investigated, and the fluctuation is found to increase with the gradient of electron temperature increasing during most phases of the sawtooth oscillation. The results indicate that the electron temperature gradient is probably the driver of the fluctuation enhancement. The steady heat flux driven by electron temperature fluctuation is estimated and compared with the results from power balance estimation.     

D-D neutron yield in the 125 J dense plasma focus Nanofocus

We present here a very small transportable dense plasma focus with 125 J of energy able to be used mainly as an intense fast neutron source. The aim of this work was to design, construct and experimentally study a very compact nuclear fusion apparatus, at the lower energy limit, useful for multiple applications, such as soil humidity measurements, inspection of several materials metallic inclusions, medical neutron-therapies, etc. Besides, the possibility of using the same device as X-rays emitter has been explored. In a narrow range of deuterium filling pressure around 1 mbar, peaked Rogowski dips are observed. Correspondingly, strong neutron and hard X-ray pulses are measured. The neutron pulses last, in average, 50 ns, being about 10⁶ the amount of neutrons per pulse. The performance of this device has shown to be higher than any other plasma focus apparatus, compar ed on the empirical scaling law of neutron yield vs. pinch current.Received: 29 April 2003, Published online: 5 August 2003PACS: 52.58.Lq Z-pinches, plasma focus and other pinch devices - 52.70.Ds Electric and magnetic measurements - 52.70.Nc Particle measurements     

Radiation reflection by a plasma with electron temperature anisotropy

The reflection of a test electromagnetic wave normally impinging on a plasma surface is investigated within the formalism of the surface impedance. The plasma is assumed to possess an anisotropic two-temperature bi-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution function. The linearly polarized impinging wave during reflection transforms into an elliptically polarized one, the degree of ellipticity depending on the electron temperature anisotropy. Polarization modifications of the reflected wave are particularly important in the conditions of the anomalous skin-effect, when the influence of the wave magnetic field on the electron kinetics in the skin layer is strong. Relations are reported connecting the reflected wave basic parameters to those of the reflecting plasma surface, making possible, through the experimental determination of the reflected wave characteristics, to find the plasma electron concentration and the two effective temperatures. Received 21 May 2002 / Received in final form 21 August 2002 Published online 6 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: zarcone@unipa.it     

Relativistic electron beams detection in a dense plasma focus

Fast electron beams into a hollow anode of a small plasma focus machine (2 kJ, 4 μF) were measured. The diagnostic method designed for this purpose is founded in a small Rogowski coil introduced into a cavity performed in the anode. By means of this, electron beam pulses of about 10 ns width generated in the plasma focus are detected. Simultaneously, hard X-ray signals obtained from a scintillator-photomultiplier system are registered. The electron beam energy was measured through the time-of-flight of the electrons between probe and anode top. The beams are found to be relativistic and its energy is into the range of hard X-rays energy. An analysis of signal intensities and relative delays for three hundred shots are here presented. Received 28 February 2002 / Received in final form 7 May 2002 Published online 24 September 2002