Stability of liquid-metal ion sources

In this paper we find the parameters (radii, lengths, velocities) of the jets produced in liquid-metal ion sources. The jet stability with respect to developing sausages (Rayleigh instability) is studied. The Rayleight instability is shown to occur for rather large currents (in long jets). The currents critical for the instability initiation are calculated for Ga and Au sources. The results are in accordance with the experimental data available. In the case of Ga, the accordance is achieved only for the hot jet model (TT _m , whereT _m is the melting temperature), when the viscosity is appreciably lower.