THE CHARACTERIZATION OF PRE-IONIZATION-CONTROLLED ELECTRON-BEAMS PRODUCED IN OPEN-ENDED HOLLOW-CATHODE TRANSIENT DISCHARGES

We measured the parameters of the electron beam produced in a hollow-c athode transient discharge with an open-ended cathode but using a prop er pre-ionization. The mean energy of the energetic electron spectrum is 0.6-0.76 of the breakdown voltage (18-23 kV) and the energetic beam duration is less than 10 ns. The electron beam current is approximate ly 0.1 of the maximum discharge current (600-700 A). The integrated di ameter of the x-ray emission spot at beam interaction with Al foils fo r several tens of thousands of shots was estimated to 150-450 mu m. Th e beam parameters are similar to those obtained in a pseudo-spark conf iguration; however, the FWHM of the beam energy distribution seems sma ller for the same breakdown voltages.