Abstract
Runaway electron beam parameters and current-voltage characteristics of discharge in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen at pressures in the range of several Torr to several hundred Torr have been studied. It is found that the maximum amplitudes of supershort avalanche electron beams (SAEBs) with a pulse full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼100 ps are achieved in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen at a pressure of ∼60, ∼30, and ∼10 Torr, respectively. It is shown that, as the gas pressure is increased in the indicated range, the breakdown voltage of the gas-filled gap decreases, which leads to a decrease in the SAEB current amplitude. At pressures of helium within 20–60 Torr, hydrogen within 10–30 Torr, and nitrogen within 3–10 Torr, the regime of the runaway electron beam generation changes and, by varying the pressure in the gas-filled diode in the indicated intervals, it is possible to smoothly control the current pulse duration (FWHM) from ∼100 to ∼500 ps, while the beam current amplitude increases by a factor of 1.5–3.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. P. Babich, High-Energy Phenomena in Electric Discharges in Dense Gases: Theory, Experiment, and Natural Phenomena (ISTC Science and Technology Series, Vol. 2) (Futurepast Inc., Arlington (VA), 2003).
Runaway Electron Beams and Discharges Based on Background Electron Multiplication Wave in Dense Gas (Trudy IOFAN, Vol. 63), Ed. by S. I. Yakovlenko (Nauka, Moscow, 2007) [in Russian].
V. F. Tarasenko, E. Kh. Baksht, A. G. Burachenko, I. D. Kostyrya, M. I. Lomaev, and D. V. Rybka, Plasma Dev. Oper. 16, 267 (2008).
G. A. Mesyats, Pis’ma Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz. 85, 119 (2007) [JETP Lett. 85, 109 (2007)].
P. B. Repin and A. G. Rep’ev, Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 78(1), 78 (2008) [Tech. Phys. 53, 73 (2008)].
J. E. Chaparro, W. Justis, H. G. Krompholz, L. L. Hatfield, and A. A. Neuber, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 36, 2505 (2008).
V. I. Karelin and A. A. Tren’kin, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 35(9), 37 (2009) [Tech. Phys. Lett. 35, 407 (2009)].
D. S. Mastyugin, V. V. Osipov, and V. I. Solomonov, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 35(11), 10 (2009) [Tech. Phys. Lett. 35, 487 (2009)].
S. B. Alekseev, V. M. Orlovskii, and V. F. Tarasenko, Kvantovaya Élektron. (Moscow) 33, 1059 (2003) [Quantum Electron. 32, 1059 (2003)].
E. I. Lipatov, V. F. Tarasenko, V. M. Orlovskii, S. B. Alekseev, and D. V. Rybka, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 31(6), 29 (2005) [Tech. Phys. Lett. 31, 231 (2005)].
I. D. Kostyrya, V. F. Tarasenko, E. Kh. Baksht, A. G. Burachenko, M. I. Lomaev, and D. V. Rybka, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 35 (21), 79 (2009) [Tech. Phys. Lett. 35, 1012 (2009)].
L. V. Tarasova, L. N. Khudyakova, T. V. Loiko, and V. A. Tsukerman, Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 44, 564 (1974) [Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. 19, 351 (1972)].
S. B. Alekseev, V. M. Orlovskii, V. F. Tarasenko, A. N. Tkachev, and S. I. Yakovlenko, Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 75(12), 89 (2005) [Tech. Phys. 50, 1623 (2005)].
E. Kh. Baksht, M. I. Lomaev, D. V. Rybka, and V. F. Tarasenko, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 32(21), 69 (2006) [Tech. Phys. Lett. 32, 948 (2006)].
E. Kh. Baksht, A. G. Burachenko, M. I. Lomaev, D. V. Rybka, and V. F. Tarasenko, Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 78(1), 98 (2008) [Tech. Phys. 53, 93 (2008)].
E. Kh. Baksht, M. I. Lomaev, D. V. Rybka, D. A. Sorokin, and V. F. Tarasenko, Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 78(12), 29 (2008) [Tech. Phys. 53, 1560 (2008)].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © V.F. Tarasenko, E.Kh. Baksht, A.G. Burachenko, M.I. Lomaev, D.A. Sorokin, Yu.V. Shut’ko, 2010, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoĭ Fiziki, 2010, Vol. 36, No. 8, pp. 60–67.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tarasenko, V.F., Baksht, E.K., Burachenko, A.G. et al. Effective regimes of runaway electron beam generation in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Tech. Phys. Lett. 36, 375–378 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063785010040255
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063785010040255