Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics

Akhmadeev, Yu. H.; Koval, N. N.

doi:10.1063/1.4932543

Title: Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics

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Abstract

The performance capabilities of the PINK, a plasma generator with a thermionic cathode mounted in the cavity of a hollow cathode, depending for its operation on a non-self-sustained low-pressure gas discharge have been investigated. It has been shown that when a single-filament tungsten cathode 2 mm in diameter is used and the peak filament current is equal to or higher than 100 A, the self-magnetic field of the filament current significantly affects the discharge current and voltage waveforms. This effect is due to changes in the time and space distributions of the emission current density from the hot cathode. When the electron mean free path is close to the characteristic dimensions of the thermionic cathode, the synthesized plasma density distribution is nonuniform and the cathode is etched nonuniformly. The cathode lifetime in this case is 8–12 h. Using a cathode consisting of several parallel-connected tungsten filaments ∼0.8 mm in diameter moderates the effect of the self-magnetic field of the filament current and nearly doubles the cathode lifetime. The use of this type of cathode together with a discharge igniting electrode reduces the minimum operating pressure in the plasma generator to about one third of that required for the generator operationmore »« less

Authors:

Akhmadeev, Yu. H.; Koval, N. N. ^[1]

Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2/3 Akademichesky Avenue, 634055 Tomsk (Russian Federation)

Publication Date:: Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015

OSTI Identifier:: 22482554

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Review of Scientific Instruments

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 10; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; CURRENT DENSITY; CURRENTS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; FILAMENTS; HOLLOW CATHODES; MAGNETIC FIELDS; PERFORMANCE; PLASMA DENSITY; TUNGSTEN; WAVE FORMS

Citation Formats


                    Lopatin, I. V., E-mail: lopatin@opee.hcei.tsc.ru, Akhmadeev, Yu. H., and Koval, N. N. Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.4932543.

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                    Lopatin, I. V., E-mail: lopatin@opee.hcei.tsc.ru, Akhmadeev, Yu. H., & Koval, N. N. Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4932543

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                    Lopatin, I. V., E-mail: lopatin@opee.hcei.tsc.ru, Akhmadeev, Yu. H., and Koval, N. N. 2015.  
        "Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4932543.

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@article{osti_22482554,

  title        = {Effect of thermionic cathode heating current self-magnetic field on gaseous plasma generator characteristics},

  author       = {Lopatin, I. V., E-mail: lopatin@opee.hcei.tsc.ru and Akhmadeev, Yu. H. and Koval, N. N.},

  abstractNote = {The performance capabilities of the PINK, a plasma generator with a thermionic cathode mounted in the cavity of a hollow cathode, depending for its operation on a non-self-sustained low-pressure gas discharge have been investigated. It has been shown that when a single-filament tungsten cathode 2 mm in diameter is used and the peak filament current is equal to or higher than 100 A, the self-magnetic field of the filament current significantly affects the discharge current and voltage waveforms. This effect is due to changes in the time and space distributions of the emission current density from the hot cathode. When the electron mean free path is close to the characteristic dimensions of the thermionic cathode, the synthesized plasma density distribution is nonuniform and the cathode is etched nonuniformly. The cathode lifetime in this case is 8–12 h. Using a cathode consisting of several parallel-connected tungsten filaments ∼0.8 mm in diameter moderates the effect of the self-magnetic field of the filament current and nearly doubles the cathode lifetime. The use of this type of cathode together with a discharge igniting electrode reduces the minimum operating pressure in the plasma generator to about one third of that required for the generator operation with a single-filament cathode (to 0.04 Pa)},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.4932543},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22482554},
  journal      = {Review of Scientific Instruments},

  issn         = {0034-6748},

  number       = 10,

  volume       = 86,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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