Cathode Gap Research Articles

Hysteresis between gas breakdown and plasma discharge

In direct-current (DC) discharge, it is well known that hysteresis is observed between the Townsend (gas breakdown) and glow regimes. Forward and backward voltage sweep is performed using a one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) model considering a ballast resistor. When increasing the applied voltage after reaching the breakdown voltage (Vb), transition from Townsend to glow discharges is observed. When decreasing the applied voltage from the glow regime, the discharge voltage (Vd) between the anode–cathode gap can be smaller than the breakdown voltage, resulting in a hysteresis, which is consistent with experimental observations. Next, the PIC-MCC model is used to investigate the self-sustaining voltage (Vs) in the presence of finite initial plasma densities between the anode and cathode gap. It is observed that the self-sustaining voltage coincides with the discharge voltage obtained from the backward voltage sweep. In addition, the self-sustaining voltage decreases with increased initial plasma density and saturates above a certain initial plasma density, which indicates a change in plasma resistivity. The decrease in self-sustaining voltage is associated with the electron heat loss at the anode for the low pd (rarefied) regime. In the high pd (collisional) regime, the ion energy loss toward the cathode due to the cathode fall and the inelastic collision loss of electrons in the bulk discharge balance out. Finally, it is demonstrated that the self-sustaining voltage collapses to a singular value, despite the presence of a initial plasma, for microgaps when field emission is dominant, which is also consistent with experimental observations.

Cathode design and gap multi-physical field coupling simulation analysis for ECM of shaped grid holes

Cathode design and gap multi-physical field coupling simulation analysis for ECM of shaped grid holes

On the two-dimensional Brillouin flow

The Brillouin flow is a rectilinear, sheared electron fluid flow in a crossed electric field (E) and magnetic field (B), in the E × B direction with zero flow velocity and zero electric field at the surface with which the flow is in contact. It is broadly considered as the equilibrium electron flow in high power crossed-field devices including the magnetron and magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator. This paper provides an examination of Brillouin flow in two dimensions, in a cylindrical geometry where the anode radius changes abruptly at a single axial location, while the cathode surface has a constant radius. Our simulation confirms the proof that there is no equilibrium Brillouin flow solution for such a geometry. It further reveals that this change in the anode radius introduces novel bunching of the electrons within the Brillouin hub. This bunching occurs at low frequencies and is very pronounced if the Brillouin flow is from the small gap region to the large gap region, but is minimal if the Brillouin flow is from the large gap region to the small gap region. New insights are provided into the physical processes that initiate and sustain the bunching processes that are unique for a crossed-field diode, as compared with a non-magnetized diode. We argue that this enhanced bunching, and its concomitant formation of strong vortices, is not restricted to an abrupt change in the anode–cathode gap spacing.

Performance improvement studies of axially partitioned dual band magnetically insulated line oscillator

In magnetically insulated line oscillator (MILO)s, a proportion of device current is responsible for the self-generated magnetic field that aids electron flow confinement in the anode cathode gap, thereby suitable RF generation. The device currents should not be high due to its direct impact on device efficiency, and electron energy depositions at load can lead to anode plasma formation. Also, the lower currents can facilitate the device to operate at larger voltages and/or for longer operational times. In this article, couple of axially partitioned dual band MILOs (DBMILO) designs that operate at lower device currents in comparison with the existing axially partitioned DBMILOs in the literature is presented. For one design with the radius of the slow wave structure (SWS), i.e., RSWS = 40 mm, the injection of the DC electron beam parameters 505 kV and 49 kA, generated an output RF power of ∼5.8 GW oscillating at 3.71 and 10.16 GHz (S-and X- bands) concurrently with ∼23.8% conversion efficiency. However, the other design (RSWS = 40.6 mm) at beam voltage 505 kV and device current of 47 kA generated an output RF power of >3.85 GW oscillating at 3.5 and 10.5 GHz, concurrently, where the frequencies are harmonically related. Thus, the proposed designs yielded significant device current reduction to ∼47 and ∼49 kA from ∼56 kA (existed), respectively, thereby drop of 16% and 12.5% to its counter designs, respectively. Also, there is substantial reduction in the electron energy depositions, thus the occurrence of anode plasma formations. Moreover, the peak conversion efficiency is enhanced to 23.4% and 16.4%, from 12.8%.

Backward fast electrons supported by ionization wave passing through the grid cathode

In this paper, the effect of appearance of fast electrons behind the grid cathode in the direction reverse to the anode is studied computationally. Fast electrons are observed within 0.5 ns after application of a short voltage pulse. The results obtained confirm the possibility of generation of backward fast electrons (some of them are in a runaway mode) and explain the main trends of this process. It is shown that backward fast electrons are supported by the ionization wave (IW). The IW evolution proceeds via two phases. During the first phase, first fast electrons are observed moving toward the anode. Then, multiple individual IWs starting from each individual cathode wire are formed in the anode–cathode gap. The duration of this stage is 0.3 ns and corresponds to the pulse rise time. At the second phase, the separate individual IWs merge in a single flat ionization wave. The IW penetrates through the cathode wires and propagates in the direction reverse to the anode. The preferred direction of fast electrons propagation also reverses. Now, the trajectories of fast electrons are mainly directed away from the anode. The duration of the recorded flux of fast electrons is of the order of a few picoseconds. This time interval correlates with the available experimental data.

Impact of an electrode-diaphragm gap on diffusive hydrogen crossover in alkaline water electrolysis

Hydrogen crossover limits the load range of alkaline water electrolyzers, hindering their integration with renewable energy. This study examines the impact of the electrode-diaphragm gap on crossover, focusing on diffusive transport. Both finite-gap and zero-gap designs employing the state-of-the-art Zirfon UTP Perl 500 and UTP 220 diaphragms were investigated at room temperature and with a 12 wt% KOH electrolyte. Experimental results reveal a relatively high crossover for a zero-gap configuration, which corresponds to supersaturation levels at the diaphragm-electrolyte interface of 8–80, with significant fluctuations over time and between experiments due to an imperfect zero-gap design. In contrast, a finite-gap (500 μm) has a significantly smaller crossover, corresponding to supersaturation levels of 2–4. Introducing a cathode gap strongly decreases crossover, unlike an anode gap. Our results suggest that adding a small cathode-gap can significantly decrease gas impurity, potentially increase the operating range of alkaline electrolyzers, while maintaining good efficiency.

Optimized Design of a Hexagonal Equal Gap Silicon Drift Detector with Arbitrary Surface Electric Field Spiral.

In our previous studies, the silicon drift detector (SDD) structure with a constant spiral ring cathode gap (g) and a given surface electric field has been partially investigated based on the physical model that gives an analytical solution to the integrals in the calculations. Those results show that the detector has excellent electrical characteristics with a very homogeneous carrier drift electric field. In order to cope with the implementation of the theoretical approach with a complete set of technical parameters, this paper performs different theoretical algorithms for the technical implementation of the detector performance using the Taylor expansion method to construct a model for cases where the parameter "j" is a non-integer, approximating the solution with finite terms. To verify the accuracy of this situation, we performed a simulation of the relevant electrical properties using the Sentaurus TCAD tool 2018. The electrical properties of the single and double-sided detectors are first compared, and then the effects of different equal gaps g (g = 10 μm, 20 μm, and 25 μm, respectively) on the electrical properties of the double-sided detectors are analyzed and demonstrated. By analyzing and comparing the electrical characteristics data from the simulation results, we can show that the double-sided structure has a larger transverse drift electric field, which improves the spatial position resolution as well as the response speed. The effect of the gap size on the electrical characteristics of the detector is also analyzed by analyzing three different gap bifacial detectors, and the results show that a 10 μm equal gap is the optimal design. Such results can be used in applications requiring large-area SDD, such as the pulsar X-ray autonomous navigation. in the future to provide navigation and positioning space services for spacecraft deep-space exploration.

Power flow in magnetically insulated transmission lines with ion backscatter effects

Ion backscattering off of surfaces in magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) is often ignored in kinetic simulations of MITL power flow. Backscattering reduces ion current losses and the surface impact heating, which dictates the rate at which surface-adsorbed contaminants are liberated into the anode–cathode gap. Backscatter probabilities are difficult to implement in a kinetic code because there are limited data for incident ion energies less than a few keV. This paper presents an analytic model based on the Rutherford scattering formula that reproduces the measured backscatter probabilities at high incident energies and transitions to the highly reflective behavior expected at low incident energies. The backscatter model is implemented in power flow simulations, which are validated with current loss experiments conducted on the 0.4 TW Mykonos accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories. This simulation setup is then used in a high-current Z-machine shot. Backscatter effects are found to be unimportant in the low-current Mykonos regime but significantly reduce current losses at the Z-machine scale.

Influence of magnetic field of a radial focusing external magnetically insulated diode on emission behavior of intense pulsed ion beam

We investigated the effect of magnetic field in the anode and cathode gap (A-C gap) of a radial focusing (Br) external magnetically insulated diode on the emission behavior of IPIB. The magnetic field distribution between the A-C gap was analyzed by finite element method. The non-uniform magnetic field distribution induced the stronger ion emission at the outer ring area of the anode. It revealed the reason for the more serious depletion of the anode outer ring. Within the magnetic induction intensity less than 1.37 Bcrit, it was found experimentally that the diode voltage and ion beam density reached a higher value with the increase of magnetic field. A smoother surface of Al2O3 ceramic was observed after the irradiation of IPIB generated by the Br diode. The study provides guidance for optimizing ion emission uniformity and efficiency of Br diode, promoting the effective application of IPIB technology in materials science.

Carbonate Regeneration Using a Membrane Electrochemical Cell for Efficient CO2 Capture.

The use of atmospheric CO2 as a chemical feedstock is a promising way to decarbonize the chemical and transportation sectors, which currently rely heavily on fossil fuels. This transition demands new technologies to reduce the energy required to capture and separate CO2. Here, we develop and demonstrate an alternative method of carbonate solution regeneration using an anion exchange membrane electrochemical cell. This process simultaneously regenerates the CO2 capture solution on the feed side, while enriching a stream of H2 with CO2 on the permeate side of the cell. Preliminary results show a CO2 transport faradaic efficiency of 50% (100% CO3 2- transport) when supplying a pure K2CO3 solution at current densities up to 60 mA·cm-2. A small cathode gap benefited cell operation by preventing membrane transport of OH-, although with an increased ohmic resistance. This represents a step forward in the application of electrochemistry to drive processes that are critical to CO2 valorization.

Impact of power flow on Z-pinch loads

Magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) are used to deliver tens of MA to a Z-pinch load. The MITLs suffer current losses due to contaminant plasma located in the anode–cathode gap which is swept toward the load along the power flow. The swept up contaminant plasma can deposit mass and energy onto the load resulting in deformations or the seeding of macroscopic instabilities. This paper discusses 2D fully kinetic simulations of the contaminant plasma evolution which predict the current losses and the flux of mass and energy onto the load. The effects of a dynamic, i.e., imploding, load are shown to increase both the current loss and the mass and energy flux. The MITL used is a conical, radially converging design which is a feature common to MA-scale Z-pinch accelerators.

Novel Spiral Silicon Drift Detector with Equal Cathode Ring Gap and Given Surface Electric Fields.

Since the advent of semiconductor detectors, they have been developed for several generations, and their performance has been continuously improved. In this paper, we propose a new silicon drift detector structure that is different from the traditional spiral SDD structure that has a gap between the cathode ring and the width of cathode ring, increasing gradually with the increase of the radius of the cathode ring. Our new structure of spiral SDD structure has equal cathode ring gap and a given surface electric field, which has many advantages compared with the traditional structure. The novel SDD structure controllably reduces the area of silicon oxide between the spiral rings, which in turn reduces the surface leakage current due to the reduction of total oxide charge in the silicon oxide and electronic states on the silicon/silicon oxide interface. Moreover, it has better controllability to adjust this spiral ring cathode gap to achieve better surface electric field distribution, thus realizing the optimal carrier drift electric field and achieving the optimal detector performance. In order to verify this theory, we have modeled this new structure and simulated its electrical properties using the Sentaurus TCAD tool. We have also analyzed and compared different spiral ring cathode gap structures (from 10 µm to 25 µm for the gap). According to the simulation results of potential, electric field, and electron concentration, we have obtained that a spiral ring cathode gap of 10 µm has the best electrical characteristics, more uniform distribution of potential and surface electric field, and a more smooth and straight electron drift channel.

Improving the electrostatic design of the Jefferson Lab 300 kV DC photogun.

The 300kV DC high voltage photogun at Jefferson Lab was redesigned to deliver electron beams with a much higher bunch charge and improved beam properties. The original design provided only a modest longitudinal electric field (Ez) at the photocathode, which limited the achievable extracted bunch charge. To reach the bunch charge goal of approximately few nC with 75ps full-width at half-maximum Gaussian laser pulse width, the existing DC high voltage photogun electrodes and anode-cathode gap were modified to increase Ez at the photocathode. In addition, the anode aperture was spatially shifted with respect to the beamline longitudinal axis to minimize the beam deflection introduced by the non-symmetric nature of the inverted insulator photogun design. We present the electrostatic design of the original photogun and the modified photogun and beam dynamics simulations that predict vastly improved performance. We also quantify the impact of the photocathode recess on beam quality, where recess describes the actual location of the photocathode inside the photogun cathode electrode relative to the intended location. A photocathode unintentionally recessed/misplaced by sub-millimeter distance can significantly impact the downstream beam size.

Radial oscillation of intense relativistic electron beam in low-magnetic-field foil-less diode

The radial oscillation of an intense relativistic electron beam possesses two main features of the spatial period and the radial oscillation amplitude in a low-magnetic-field foil-less diode, and the large radial oscillation extremely limits the beam–wave conversion efficiency and stability of a high-power microwave device. Thus, the formation mechanism of the radial oscillation is analyzed in detail. The results show that the radial oscillation of an electron beam consists of a great number of electrons with different Larmor radii and guiding centers, and the large radial oscillation is mainly caused by the strong radial electric field and the directional difference between the electric field and the magnetic field in the anode–cathode gap. A low diode voltage or a proper large anode radius is beneficial to improve the beam quality. Considering that cathode plasmas have a dominant effect on the spatial distribution of electrons, the explosive emission model was improved with cathode plasmas, and the consistency between simulation and experimental results becomes better.

Characterization of self-magnetic pinch (SMP) radiographic diode performance on RITS-6 at Sandia National Laboratories. I. Diode dynamics, DC heating to extend radiation pulse

Radiographic diodes focus on an intense electron beam to a small spot size to minimize the source area of energetic photons for radiographic interrogation. The self-magnetic pinch (SMP) diode has been developed as such a source and operated as a load for the six-cavity radiographic integrated test stand (RITS-6) inductive voltage adder driver. While experiments support the generally accepted conclusion that a 1:1 aspect diode (cathode diameter equals anode–cathode gap) delivers optimum SMP performance, such experiments also show that reducing the cathode diameter, while reducing spot size, also results in reduced radiation dose, by as much as 50%, and degraded shot reproducibility. Analysis of the effective electron impingement angle on the anode converter with time made possible by a newly developed dose-rate array diagnostic indicates that fast-developing oscillations of the angle are correlated with early termination of the radiation pulse on many of the smaller-diameter SMP shots. This behavior as a function of relative cathode size persists through experiments with output voltages and currents up to 11.5 MV and 225 kA, respectively, and with spot sizes below approximately few millimeters. Since simulations to date have not predicted such oscillatory behavior, considerable discussion of the angle behavior of SMP shots is made to lend credence to the inference. There is clear anecdotal evidence that DC heating of the SMP diode region leads to stabilization of this oscillatory behavior. This is the first of two papers on the performance of the SMP diode on the RITS-6 accelerator.

Design of Multigap Pseudospark Discharge-Based Plasma Cathode Electron Source at Different Configurations of Electrode Apertures

In this article, design investigations have been performed for wide ranges and sequence of electrode apertures (SEA) like, tapered conical-up or down, irregular/nonuniform and regular/uniform apertures with varying diameters of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm for 20–60 Pa operating argon gas pressures for the generation of electron beam from the multigap pseudospark discharge-based plasma cathode electron (PD-PCE) source using particle-in-cell simulation code. Results show the strong dependence of potential penetration and their distribution on the SEA and gas pressures. The first and last electrodes play significant role for deciding the generation and properties of electron beam current. The SEA and gas pressures influence the rise behavior of electron beam current and voltage fall between the anode and cathode gap. The maximum current of 9.6 kA in uniform electrode aperture sequence while minimum of 513 A in conical down aperture sequence has been observed at the anode. The quenching effect and its reduction during the rise of electron beam current at the anode has also been investigated for different SEA and gas pressures. The proposed analysis would be very much useful for the design and development of multigap PD-PCE sources for high-density and energetic electron beam generation.

Features of glow discharge ignition through a small hole in the hollow cathode of a large volume

The influence of the size of a cathode gap on the initiation of the effect of a hollow cathode in a glow discharge system with an extended hollow cathode in the forevacuum pressure range is shown. It was found that the threshold current for the transition of the discharge to the burning mode with a hollow cathode is determined by the ratio of the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the cathode slit. With a decrease in the width of the slot, the threshold current increases disproportionately; at the same time, with an increase in the length of the slot, this current sharply decreases.

Liner implosion experiments driven by a dynamic screw pinch

This paper expands upon recent experimental results [Campbell et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 035001 (2020)], where thin-foil liner implosions were driven by a dynamic screw pinch (DSP) and found to have magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instability (MRTI) amplitudes up to three times smaller than in implosions driven by a standard z-pinch (SZP). The expanded discussion presented herein includes: (1) a detailed comparison of the MRTI growth measured in the experiment with that calculated from theory; (2) measurements of axial magnetic field injection into the liner interior prior to the implosion, as well as the subsequent compression of this field during the implosion; (3) an in-depth description of how the helical geometry of the DSP can result in earlier implosion and stagnation times relative to the SZP; and (4) particle-in-cell simulations showing different electron drift behavior in the anode–cathode gap of the DSP relative to the SZP, and how this difference may be related to the different current waveforms recorded during the experiments.

Long gap spark discharge ignition using a boron-doped diamond electrode

A long gap discharge offers an efficient method for achieving stable ignition in lean fuel/air mixtures, because it can reduce the heat loss to the electrodes, achieve efficient electrical energy transfer from the ignition coil to the discharge plasma, and reduce the initial flame curvature by converting the geometry of the ignition from a point to a line. However, the formation of such discharge requires increased discharge voltage to compensate for the reduction in the electric field between the electrodes, and this is not easily achieved in practice. Since the Townsend discharge criteria depend not only on the electron multiplication coefficient (α coefficient) but on the secondary electron emission (γ-process), we focused on the latter to reduce the discharge threshold voltage. In the present study, for the first time, B-doped diamond (BDD), which has a larger secondary electron emission coefficient than the metals used in conventional spark discharge ignition, was utilized as the cathode material, and its discharge and ignition characteristics were investigated. Under the same conditions, use of a BDD cathode resulted in a lower discharge threshold, greater discharge energy, less discharge energy variation, and more rapid flame development, than in the case of a metal cathode. The influence of the cathode material on discharge threshold suggests that the breakdown mechanism of ignition-coil spark discharge is based on Townsend discharge. To elucidate the effect of gap length, the temporal development of flame growth, using the same discharge energy in methane and propane mixtures, was compared between ignition with a short gap discharge with a metal cathode and long gap discharge with a BDD cathode. With a long gap discharge, only the flame growth of lean propane-air mixtures was accelerated, while no difference was observed in the case of lean methane or relatively rich propane mixtures, suggesting the effectiveness of long gap discharge ignition for mixtures with a large Lewis number, due to the small curvature of the initial flame kernel.

Additively manufactured electrodes for plasma and power-flow studies in high-power transmission lines on the 1-MA MAIZE facility.

Power-flow studies on the 30-MA, 100-ns Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories have shown that plasmas in the facility's magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) and double post-hole convolute can result in a loss of current delivered to the load. To study power-flow physics on the 1-MA, 100-ns MAIZE facility at the University of Michigan, planar MITL loads and planar post-hole convolute loads have been developed that extend into the lines of sight for various imaging diagnostics on MAIZE. These loads use 3D-printed dielectric support structures lined with thin foils of either aluminum or stainless steel. The metal foils serve as the current-carrying power-flow surfaces, which generate plasma during the current pulse. The foil thickness (50 µm) and widths (11.5-16mm) are selected to ensure a sufficient linear current density (0.5-0.7 MA/cm) for plasma formation. Laser backlighting (532nm) and visible-light self-emission imaging capture the overall plasma evolution in the anode-cathode gaps, including the gap closure velocities (1-4 cm/μs).