Abstract
Particle-in-cell Monte Carlo code is used to simulate gas discharge initiated by a high current (I e≈10kA) middle energy (ε e≈10keV) hot (δ e≈1 keV) electron stream. The generation of such an overthermal electron stream has been clearly demonstrated at the experimental REBEX facility during the relativistic electron beam-plasma interaction. When the electron beam (represented by≈1000 macroparticles) is injected into the drift tube filled by neutral gas (hydrogen,p=13.3–133 Pa) two different stages are observed. During the initial stage the arising Virtual Cathode (VC) is filled by hydrogen ions. The VC disappears when the quasineutrality of ionized gas is achieved. Then the severe exponential growth of electron and ion component of ionized gas is observed.
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Abbreviations
- x :
-
distance from the left electrode [m]
- t :
-
time [s]
- v x ,v y :
-
velocity components [m/s]
- g4(x) :
-
potential [Volt]
- g4 1/2(t) :
-
middle potential [Volt]
- E(x) :
-
electric field [Volt/m]
- Q wall :
-
wall charge [C/m.m]
- I :
-
current [C/s]
- ε tot :
-
total energy [J]
- N :
-
number of macroparticles
- f(ε):
-
energy distribution of electron macroparticles at the left electrode,ε is kinetic energy of macroparticle [eV].
References
Birdsall C.K.: IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.19 (1991) 65.
Piffl V., Vrba P., and Rauš J.:in Proc. 10th Int. Conf. on High-Power Particle Beams (Ed. Amanda A. Ness), Maxwell Laboratories, Inc., San Diego (U.S.A.), 1994, poster P3-3.
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Vrba, P. Modelling of electron stream discharge. Czech J Phys 45, 1083–1094 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01692000
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01692000