Comparison of velvet- and cesium iodide-coated carbon fibercathodes |
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Authors: | Shiffler D LaCour M Golby K Sena M Mithcell M Haworth M Hendricks K Spencer T |
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Institution: | Air Force Res. Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM; |
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Abstract: | Presents results of an experimental comparison of a velvet cathode- and a carbon fiber cathode-coated with cesium iodide (CsI) salt. Each cathode had a planar geometry, with similar emission areas. The cathodes were tested at electric field strengths of 50 kV/cm at anode-cathode (A-K) gaps of 4.0 cm. The applied voltage had a 1-μs duration and the pulser was operated at up to a 1-Hz repetition rate. The system had a low base pressure (<1.0×10-7 torr). This paper reports the results and comparisons of experiments on each cathode. We address the current and voltage characteristics, the shot-to-shot reproducibility, the pressure evolution of the diode under 1-Hz operation, and the lifetime of the cathodes |
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