Triservice NASA cathode life test facility

Since December 1992, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division (NSWCCD) h as logged over 1,318,000 h of cathode life testing on 6 different cathode s ystems in the Triservice/NASA Cathode Life Test Facility. These include two types of reservoir cathodes designated as MK (Siemens), and RV (CPI, forme rly Varian), and impregnated matrix cathodes designated M type (manufacture d by Semicon and Hughes), TM (Transition Metal cathodes-CPI) and MMM (Mixed Metal Matrix cathodes-CPI). This paper will present results of the cathode life testing at this facility. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.