Plasma characteristics during {open_quote}{open_quote}{ital slow quenching}{close_quote}{close_quote} of a Cs-Ba tacitron

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.49906· OSTI ID:385501

Wernsman, B; El-Genk, M S ^[1]

---

1. Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (United States)

Transient Langmuir probe measurements of the plasma density, electron temperature, and plasma potential during {open_quote}{open_quote}{ital slow} {ital quenching}{close_quote}{close_quote} of a Cs-Ba tacitron are made. Following the application of a negative voltage pulse on the grid, the grid aperture sheaths grew initially then shrank temporarily, due to an increase in the ion flux from the grid-collector region to the grid apertures, then grew again until the discharge eventually extinguished. Discharge extinguishing occurred when the effective ionization cross-section maxed out, becoming independent of the continually rising electron temperature; hence, the decreasing ionization rate could not maintain the discharge. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 385501
• Report Number(s): CONF-960109--
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 361; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BARIUM
CESIUM
ELECTRON DENSITY
LANGMUIR PROBE
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PLASMA SWITCHES
PULSE TECHNIQUES
QUENCHING