Characteristics of electron beams formed in a diode with magnetic insulation

The problems of the formation of relativistic electron beams in a cylindrical diode with an annular cathode are discussed in the approximation of an infinitely strong guiding magnetic field. The beams are treated as infinitely thin. The following cases are investigated: 1) The formation of an electron beam moving off the cathode with an initial velocity. The case in which the field on the cathode is not equal to zero is investigated. It is shown that the potential of the electron beam can be determined in a nonunique fashion in the drift region. 2) The formation of a two-velocity electron beam. The possibility of controlling the flow of kinetic energy of the beam by varying the fraction of fast electrons in it is shown. 3) The formation of an electron beam in a diode with the help of two opposed cathodes at different potentials. A strong dependence of the current in the diode on the potential difference between the cathodes is obtained.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 36–39, December, 1981.     

Analysis of the dependence of the microwave generation power of a low-voltage vircator on controlling parameters

The results of experimental and theoretical analysis of the dependence of the generation power of a low-voltage vircator, viz., a nonrelativistic electrovacuum device based on a high-intensity electron beam with a virtual cathode, on the values of controlling parameters are considered. The dependences of the generation power on the decelerating potential and on the beam current are analyzed.     

X-ray radiation and runaway electron beam spectra at a nanosecond discharge in atmospheric-pressure air

The dependences of the electron beam intensity and X-ray dose on the thickness of metal foils (Al, Cu) in a nanosecond discharge initiated in atmospheric-pressure air are studied theoretically and experimentally. Calculated curves of electron beam attenuation in aluminum and X-ray dose attenuation in copper agree well with experimental data. It is found that the amplitude of a super-short avalanche electron beam and the X-ray exposure dose reach maximal values at different values of the interelectrode gap. When the length of the cathode??s edge with a small radius of curvature increases, an interelectrode gap maximizing the amplitude of the runaway electron current shrinks.     

Electron beam lithography with a Gaussian current distribution for nanolithography

The parameters of a system of electron beam lithography with a Gaussian current density distribution are studied. The dependence of resolution on magnification and the ratio of anode potentials are analyzed. A model of a three-electrode electron gun with a ZrO/W cathode is used. Stochastic aberration is taken into account. It is shown that a resolution of 10 nm is obtainable even if an electron gun with the simplest geometry is used.     

Generation of a submillisecond electron beam with a high-density current in a plasma-emitter diode under the conditions of open plasma boundary emission

The generation of a 250-μs-wide electron beam in a plasma-emitter diode is studied experimentally. A plasma was produced by a pulsed arc discharge in hydrogen. The electron beam is extracted from a circular emission hole 3.8 mm in diameter under open plasma boundary conditions. The beam accelerated in the diode gap enters into a drift space in the absence of an external magnetic field through a hole 4.1 mm in diameter made in the anode. The influence of electron current deposition at the edge of the anode hole on the beam’s maximum attainable current, above which the diode gap breaks down, is studied for different accelerating voltages and diode gaps. The role of processes occurring on the surface of the electrodes is shown. For an accelerating voltage of 32 kV, a mean emission current density of 130 A/cm² is achieved. The respective mean strength of the electric field in the acceleration gap is 140 kV/cm. Using the POISSON-2 software package, the numerical simulation of the diode performance is carried out and the shape of steady plasma emission boundaries in the cathode and anode holes is calculated. The influence of the density of the ion current from the anode plasma surface on the maximum attainable current of the electron beam is demonstrated.     

Leading Edge Erosion of a Low-Energy Beam Injected into a Gas in a Magnetic Field

The leading edge erosion of a low-energy high-current electron beam injected into a low-energy neutral gas in a magnetic field has been investigated. The system’s parameters at which a virtual cathode arises, the erosion duration of the beam leading edge, and the time of complete charge neutralization have been determined.     

双阳极磁控注入枪束流特性的研究

 介绍了用于34GHz基波回旋速调管的双阳极磁控注入枪的结构特点，为了准确分析磁控注入枪的束流特性，建立了阴极表面理论模型，用新编制的程序模拟了电子轨迹。模拟和测量结果显示磁场对磁控注入枪的束流有影响，磁控注入枪的束流也与阴极温度和空间电荷效应有关系。     

Generation of a pulsed high-current low-energy beam in a plasma electron source with a self-heated cathode

The transition of a low-current discharge with a self-heated hollow cathode to a high-current discharge is studied, and stability conditions for the latter in the pulsed–periodic mode with a current of 0.1–1.0 kA, pulse width of 0.1–1.0 ms, and a pulse repetition rate of 0.1–1.0 kHz are determined. The thermal conditions of the hollow cathode are analyzed, and the conclusion is drawn that the emission current high density is due to pulsed self-heating of the cathode’s surface layer. Conditions for stable emission from a plasma cathode with a grid acting as a plasma boundary using such a discharge are found at low accelerating voltage (100–200 eV) and a gas pressure of 0.1–0.4 Pa. The density of the ion current from a plasma generated by a pulsed beam with a current of 100 A is found to reach 0.1 A/cm². Probe diagnostics data for the emitting and beam plasmas in the electron source are presented, and a mechanism behind the instability of electron emission from the plasma is suggested on their basis.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE UNIFORMITY OF LARGE AREA INTENSE RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON BEAMS

The uniformity of intense relativistic electron beams under a converging magnetic guide field is studied experimentally in this paper. In the experiments, fluence calorimeter and X-ray pinhole photograph were used to measure the beam uniformity. The experimental results show that the externally applied magnetic flux density at the cathode and the shape of cathode face have considerable influence on the beam uniformity, The beam uniformity better than 80% is obtained over an area of 200cm² when the externally applied magnetic flux density at the cathode is about 0.6T and the cathode face is concave to a depth of 1.5 mm, relative to the cathode edge.     

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The generation and control of microwave electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma cathode electron beam is studied experimentally. A complete set of discharge, electron beam extraction, focusing and measuring system was set up. The characteristics and performance of microwave ECR plasmas as electron beam extraction source were studied by measuring the current of water cooling target and the beam spot size on the target. Experimental results indicated that both microwave input power and accelerating voltage are conducive to improving electron beam current. The influence of gas pressure on the electron beam current was complex. With the increase of gas pressure, the electron beam current is characterized by decreasing first and then increasing. The extracted electron current of microwave ECR plasma cathode can reach 75mA at gas pressure of 7×10⁻⁴Pa, and the energy of the electron beam can reach 9keV. The energy utilization can reach 0.6. By adjusting the current of the focusing coil, the diameter of electron beam spot is reduced from 20mm to 13mm and the electron beam current keeps the value unchanged.     

Inhomogeneous extended hollow cathode discharge for raising the current density in a forevacuum plasma source of a ribbon electron beam

The plasma parameters and the emissivity of a ribbon electron beam source based on a discharge with an inhomogeneous extended hollow cathode are measured. A constriction in the cathode cavity increases the plasma density near the emitting area boundary, which adds to the electron current density in the beam. The reason for the above effect is the formation of the plasma density distribution nonuniform across the cavity with a maximum in the middle. This maximum is caused primarily by a plasma electron flow from the constriction, which is generated by the electric field and is directed toward a slit emission-extracting aperture.     

Properties of a metal-ceramic cathode

The characteristics of a metal-ceramic (MC) cathode designed for nanosecond electron accelerators are studied in relation to the size of metal particles, their density on the ceramic surface, and the type of ceramics. A high emissivity of the MC cathode at a moderate electric field in the diode tube is demonstrated. This allows one to significantly sharpen the electron beam and increase its current (power). The possibility of controlling the emissivity of the MC cathode by varying the composition of the MC plate is established.     

微波电子回旋共振等离子体阴极电子束的实验研究

介绍了实验室研制的微波电子回旋共振(ECR)等离子体阴极电子束系统及初步研究结果，该系统包括微波ECR 等离子体源、电子束引出极、聚焦线圈等。通过测量水冷靶电流和靶上的束斑尺寸，实验研究了微波ECR 等离子体阴极电子束的流强、聚束性能等随电子束系统工作条件的变化。结果表明：微波输入功率越高、引出电压越高，引出电子束流强越大；工作气压对电子束流强的影响较复杂，随气压增加呈现出先降低后升高的特点；在7×10⁻⁴Pa 的极低气压下电子束流强可达75mA，引出电压9kV；能量利用率可达0.6；调整聚焦线圈的驱动电流，电子束的束斑直径从20mm 减小到13mm，电子束流强未有明显变化。     

On the influence of the voltage pulse rise time and cathode geometry on the generation of a supershort avalanche electron beam

The influence of the voltage pulse rise time on the amplitude of a runaway electron beam and X-ray generation in air and nitrogen under atmospheric pressure is studied experimentally and theoretically. Generalization of the whistle criterion for the case of a nonuniform field is suggested. It is shown that the maximal energy of beam electrons and the beam current amplitude grow when the voltage pulse rise time decreases. It is found that the amplitude of the runaway electron current reaches a maximum at a certain curvature of the cathode. The maximal energy of electrons increases when the radius of curvature of the cathode exceeds the value at which the beam current amplitude is the highest. If the field is nonuniform, its critical value at which many electrons run away is more than an order of magnitude lower than in the uniform field.     

Study of Intense Electron Beams Produced by High-Voltage Pulsed Glow Discharges

We report the generation of high-current-density (20 A/cm2) pulsed electron beams from high-voltage (48-100 kV) glow discharges using cathodes 7.5 cm in diameter. The pulse duration was determined by the energy of the pulse generator and varied between 0.2 ?s and several microseconds, depending on the discharge current. The largest electron beam current (900 A) was obtained with an oxidized aluminum cathode in a helium-oxygen atmosphere. An oxidized magnesium cathode produced similar results, and a molybdenum cathode operated at considerably lower currents. A small-diameter (<1 mm) well-collimated beam of energetic electrons of very high current density (>1 kA/cm2) was also observed to develop in the center of the discharge. Electrostatic probe measurements show that the negative glow plasma density and the electron beam current have a similar spatial distribution. Electron temperatures of 1-1.5 eV were measured at 7 cm from the cathode. The plasma density (8.5 · 1011 cm-3 at 450 A) was found to depend linearly on the discharge current. In discharges at high currents a denser and higher temperature plasma region was observed to develop at approximately 20 cm from the cathode. We have modeled the process of electron beam generation and predicted the energy distribution of the electron beam. More than 95 percent of the electron beam energy is calculated to be within 10 percent of that corresponding to the discharge voltage.     

微脉冲电子枪的初步实验研究

给出了微脉冲电子枪的模拟计算及其初步实验结果. 该电子枪采用铜铝镁合金作为冷阴极材料, 在以磁控管作为微波功率源的出束实验中得到了100mA/cm²的电流密度.实验结果与次级电子倍增解析计算和SEEG程序的模拟计算结果基本符合, 初步验证了微脉冲电子枪的基本原理, 为今后实验中得到更大的电流密度打下了基础.     

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.     

The spatial and temporal development of pseudospark switch plasmas

Optical spectroscopy is used to investigate the spatial and temporal development of high-current pseudospark switch plasmas. At a peak discharge current of 12 kA in amplitude and a current reversal of 20%, the electron density is measured from Stark width broadening of the hydrogen Balmer beta line. The peak electron density of ~4×10¹⁵ cm^-3 is measured briefly after the current maximum. The discharge initially starts on the symmetry axis of the cathode hole. A cylindrical plasma column is observed, which is produced mainly by ionizing collisions of beam electrons formed in the hollow cathode during the early part of the discharge. This plasma column rapidly expands in the radial direction, until it contacts the edge of the cathode hole. The same behavior is found when the Balmer beta line intensity is evaluated rather than the line shape. Although statistically distributed, localized bursts of light are found occasionally, an axially symmetric, homogeneous light intensity distribution is always predominant, and the local arcing is merely superimposed on it. These results confirm that the discharge remains diffuse during most of the current pulse     

磁绝缘线振荡器阴极烧蚀与电压波形的关系研究

通过粒子模拟和实验研究相结合的方法,研究了磁绝缘线振荡器的阴极烧蚀与输入电压波形的关系,找到了造成阴极烧蚀的根本原因,给出了电子束回轰阴极的清晰图像,并通过对低阻抗加速器平台输出电压波形的调整,抑制了反向电压,解决了器件的阴极烧蚀问题.研究结果表明:在正向电压作用下已经发射出来的电子束在超过一定幅度的反向电压作用下发生反向运动并回轰阴极,产生反向电流并造成器件阴极的烧蚀,因此注入电压下降沿之后的反向电压是引起磁绝缘线振荡器的阴极烧蚀的最根本因素.     

Effect of gas pressure on amplitude and duration of electron beam current in a gas-filled diode

The parameters of an electron beam generated in helium in the pressure range p = 10⁻⁴−12 atm are studied. Nanosecond high-voltage pulses are applied to a gap between a tubular cathode and planar anode, which is made of 45-μm-thick AlBe foil. Behind the anode, an electron beam is detected at a helium pressure of 12 atm. The pressure dependence of the beam current amplitude shows three peaks at p ≈ 0.01, ≈ 0.07, and ≈ 3 atm. The beam-induced glow of a luminescent film placed behind the foil and the discharge glow at different helium pressures in the gas-filled diode are photographed.