Generation and transport of submillisecond intense electron beams in plasma cathode vacuum diodes

The paper reports on a comparative study of two different types of diode system for producing intense submillisecond electron beam in a source with low-pressure arc plasma emitter. The first is a planar multi-aperture diode comprising cathode and anode performed as molybdenum grids with 241 round openings of few millimeters in diameter. In the second system electrons are accelerated in a sheath between the grid-stabilized cathode plasma and the open boundary of beam-generated anode plasma. It was demonstrated in experiments that latter system should be advantageous in terms of maximally achievable beam current and total beam energy content, but there are drawbacks connected with slow anode plasma build-up that require further study.