On the generation and disruption of a picosecond runaway electron beam during the breakdown of an atmospheric-pressure gas gap

Journal Article · Mon Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3697991· OSTI ID:22025493

Barengolts, S A ^[1]; Mesyats, G A; Tsventoukh, M M ^[2]; Uimanov, I V ^[3]

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1. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)
2. Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, 53 Leninsky Ave., 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)
3. Institute of Electrophysics, RAS, 106 Amundsen St., 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

The generation and disruption of the picosecond runaway electron beam in atmospheric pressure strongly overvolted gas gap is considered with emphasis on the runaway kinetics, the increase in emission current and plasma density, and beam instabilities. It has been shown that a few-nanosecond ten-kV prepulse gives rise to a streamer. Application of the main pulse ({approx}2 MV/ns) results in the runaway electron beam generation with the streamer electrons involved in the acceleration, and in increase of the electron emission from the cathode and the plasma density. At the high enough plasma density, fast beam instability disrupts the runaway electron beam.

• OSTI ID: 22025493
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 13; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATION
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BEAM PRODUCTION
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
BREAKDOWN
CATHODES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRON EMISSION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PULSES
RUNAWAY ELECTRONS