Hot Cathode Research Articles

Improvement of the FEBIAD ion source at SPIRAL1

The behaviour of the Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge (FEBIAD) ion source used at GANIL within the Target Ion Source System (TISS) of the “Système de Production d’Ions Radioactifs Accélérés en Ligne” (SPIRAL1) has been recently investigated to improve its performances and render them reproducible. Off line systematic studies of the evolution of working parameters (cathode shape, cathode heating, anode current) with time and temperature configuration have clearly shown the origin of issues was mainly related to an excessive temperature of the anode insulators. Modifications of the TISS have allowed the reduction of the anode current drift and an ionisation efficiency of 40Ar of 15%, stable over more than eight days. The system is still under improvement to stabilize its Ar ionization efficiency to 25%, which is the maximum observed during testing.

Numerical investigation of regimes of current transfer to anodes of high-pressure arc discharges

Unified 1D numerical modeling of high-pressure high-current arc discharges is revisited. Two regimes of current transfer to anodes are investigated. The “passive anode” regime occurs for low and moderate anode surface temperatures Ta. The energy flux from the plasma to the anode surface, qpl, depends on Ta rather weakly in this regime and may be conveniently expressed in terms of the local current density jc, and the so-called anode heating voltage Uh. Uh is independent of the arc length and the cathode surface temperature, although it weakly varies with jc between approximately 6 and 8.5 V for jc in the range from 105 to 108 A m−2. In the “active anode” regime, qpl is higher than in the passive anode regime and varies with Ta. The active anode regime may occur on hot refractory anodes, such as those of high-intensity discharge lamps, when Ta exceeds approximately 3000 K and the thermionic electron emission from the anode comes into play. The latter causes an increase in the electron density near the anode. One consequence is the increase in the electron energy transport from the bulk plasma to the near-anode layer by electron heat conduction. The other effect contributing to increase in qpl is the formation of a negative near-anode space-charge sheath with a positive voltage drop. In non-stationary simulations, the active regime occurs via the development of a thermal instability similar to that causing the appearance of spots on thermionic arc cathodes. The occurrence of the active regime is strongly affected by parameters, in particular, by the distance between the anode surface and the cooling fluid.

Influence of high energy electrons on negative ion density in a hot cathode discharge

This study investigates the influence of high energy electrons on the negative ion density along with the effect of filament current, discharge voltage, pressure, and magnetic filter field strength by carrying out measurements of negative ion density in a hot cathode discharge system in the double plasma device using a Langmuir probe technique. In the volume production technique, negative ions are formed by the dissociative attachment of low energy electrons to metastable hydrogen molecules and among the negative ion loss mechanisms; the presence of high energy electrons in the plasma is one of the important factors. Although the magnetic filter could reduce the temperature of the electrons in the target region considerably, high energy electrons were still present in the diffusion region, which could reduce the negative ion density. Negative hydrogen ion density measured by using Langmuir probe in the target region is also compared with the particle balance model considering the set of reactions involved in the production and destruction of negative ions, and a reasonably good match between them has been observed.

Kinetics of plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition combined with inductively excited RF discharge and properties of a-C:H:SiOx coatings

The paper studies the plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition of a-C:H:SiOx coatings in plasma of non-self-sustained arc discharge with a hot cathode combined with inductively excited radio-frequency (RF) discharge. The a-C:H:SiOx coatings are produced by polyphenyl methylsiloxane (PPMS) dissociation in plasma with and without RF discharge. The optical emission spectroscopy is used to study the PPMS dissociation process. Raman spectroscopy provides the structural investigations of the obtained coatings, while the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to analyze the chemical composition. It is shown that the mechanical and tribological properties of a-C:H:SiOx coatings depend on the RF discharge power and the bias voltage amplitude of the substrate. It is demonstrated that substrate bias voltage can be reduced during the coating deposition in combined discharge without significant degradation of its mechanical and tribological properties due to the better dissociation and ionization of PPMS vapor molecules in inductively excited RF discharge.

Fast-sweeping Langmuir probes: what happens to the I –V trace when sweeping frequency is higher than the ion plasma frequency?

Limited particle transit time is one of several limiting factors which determine the maximum temporal resolution of a Langmuir probe. In this work, we have revisited the known fast sweep Langmuir probe techniques in a uniform, quiescent multi-dipole confined hot cathode discharge with two operation scenarios: one in which the probe sweeping frequency f sweep is much lower than the ion plasma frequency f pi, another one where f sweep is much greater than f pi, respectively. This allows investigation into the effect of limited ion-motion on I–V traces. Serious distortions of I–V traces at high frequencies, previously claimed to be an ion-motion limitation effect, were not found unless shunt resistance is sufficiently high, despite a f sweep/f pi ratio of ∼3. On the other hand, evidences of sheath capacitance on the I–V traces have been observed. Distortions of I–V traces qualitatively agree with predictions of sheath capacitance response to the sweeping voltage. Additionally, techniques in fast sweep Langmuir probe are briefly discussed. The comparison between the high-speed dual Langmuir probe (HDLP) and the single probe setup shows that the capacitive response can be removed via subtracting a leakage current for the single probe setup almost as effectively as using the HDLP setup, but the HDLP setup does remain advantageous in its facilitation of better recovery of weak current signal commonly in low density plasma.

Total pressure in thermionic orificed hollow cathodes: Controlling mechanisms and their relative importance

A statistical analysis is conducted to identify which physically relevant non-dimensional parameters influence the total (neutral, ion, and electron) static pressure inside thermionic orificed hollow cathodes. It is critical to uncover and order the importance of the physical mechanisms that affect the pressure inside hollow cathodes because it influences the plasma attachment length, the electron temperature, and the sheath potential. These plasma parameters, in turn, affect the emitter lifetime. A principal component analysis of total pressure data obtained from the literature reveals that four non-dimensional variables can account for most of the variation in the total-to-magnetic pressure ratio over five orders of magnitude. The relevant variables are identified with a backward stepwise selection process and an exhaustive grid search and include, by order of importance: the gasdynamic-to-magnetic pressure ratio, the ratio of the mass flow rate to the discharge current, the orifice-to-insert diameter ratio, and the orifice Reynolds number. It is also shown, using various models and regression analyses, that empirical, Poiseuille, or isentropic flow models should not be used for predictive cathode design work. The data-driven study suggests that, while viscous effects may be important, the variation in those effects between cathodes is negligible compared to the effects of the modification of the gas constant due to the plasma, the transitional flow, the flux of heavy species on the orifice plate, and the Lorentz force.

Velocity of plasma rotation in reflex discharge with themionic cathode

This work is devoted to determining the azimuthal ion rotation velocity in a reflex discharge with a thermionic cathode. For the experimental determination of the ion velocity, a Mach probe with directional particle collection was used. The Mach probe rotation velocity measurements are compared with the drift speed in crossed Ex B fields, where the radial electric field is measured with an emissive probe. The rotation of the plasma was found to be predominantly due to this drift, corrected for centrifugal effects. One of the important results of the work is the determination of the ion temperature. The obtained value Ti=0.12 eV, agrees with the ion temperature estimates in works with similar experimental conditions. A general parameter has been obtained that makes it possible to estimate the necessity to take into account centrifugal effects under given conditions. Keywords: plasma, thermionic cathode, reflex discharge, ion rotation, crossed fields.

Скорость вращения плазмы в отражательном разряде с термокатодом

This work is devoted to determining the azimuthal ion rotation velocity in a reflex discharge with a thermionic cathode. For the experimental determination of the ion velocity, a Mach probe with directional particle collection was used. The Mach probe rotation velocity measurements are compared with the drift speed in crossed ExB fields, where the radial electric field is measured with an emissive probe. The rotation of the plasma was found to be predominantly due to this drift, corrected for centrifugal effects. One of the important results of the work is the determination of the ion temperature. The obtained value Ti=0.12 eV, agrees with the ion temperature estimates in works with similar experimental conditions. A general parameter has been obtained that makes it possible to estimate the necessity to take into account centrifugal effects under given conditions.

Propagation of the front of azimuthal plasma potential oscillations in a reflective discharge with a thermionic cathode

Propagation of the front of azimuthal plasma potential oscillations in a reflective discharge with a thermionic cathode

Development of Radio-Frequency Electron Gun Using a Gridded Thermionic Cathode with High Reliability and High Maintainability

Development of Radio-Frequency Electron Gun Using a Gridded Thermionic Cathode with High Reliability and High Maintainability

Metallurgical Processing for Impregnated Thermionic Cathodes Manufacturing

A metallurgical process using a very high temperature Mo-Ru brazing filler alloy to join a controlled porous tungsten cathode button and a single-crystalline molybdenum cathode body for microwave tubes manufacture was developed†. The Mo-Ru brazing alloy was obtained by mixing and milling powders in the eutectic composition with a binder, and a braze paste was applied on the surface cathode parts. Brazing was performed in two temperatures by using a resistive dry hydrogen cold wall furnace for 10 minutes: at 1890 °C and 1967 °C. It was observed a fillability by the Mo-Ru system only in the tests performed in temperatures above 1967°C. The brazed samples were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. It was observed absence of microstructural defects in the interface between the tungsten porous and dense molybdenum joint. Stress-strain tests, followed by SEM analysis were performed to determine the mechanical behavior of the brazing joining. The results indicate the origin region of the cracking and show an intergranular propagation; some evidence as grain cleavage indicates a brittle failure behavior.

Vacuum pressure measurement based on <sup>6</sup>Li cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap

Ultra-high vacuum measurement and extremely high vacuum (UHV/XHV) measurement play an important role in high-tech fields such as deep space exploration, particle accelerators, and nanoscience; with the continuous extension of the lower limit of measurement, especially when it reaches the order of 10<sup>–10</sup> Pa, higher requirements are placed on the accuracy of the measurement. At present, in the field of UHV/XHV measurement, ionization gauges based on the principle of neutral gas ionization are commonly applied to the vacuum measurement. However, traditional ionization vacuum gauges during use can create electronic excitation desorption effects, soft X-rays, and the effect of hot cathode outgassing, thereby affecting the accuracy of measurement and limiting the lower limit of measurement. Compared with the traditional measurement technology, this method uses the relationship between the loss rate and pressure caused by the collision of cold atoms trapped in the trap depth with the background gas to calculate the gas density and inversely calculate the vacuum pressure. Based on the intrinsic quantum mechanical properties of cold atom collisions, this method is expected to be developed into a new vacuum traceability standard. In this paper, based on the small-angle approximation and impulse approximation under the quantum scattering theory, the loss rate coefficient of the collision of <sup>6</sup>Li cold atoms with background gas molecules is calculated. According to the ideal gas equation, the pressure inversion formula is obtained. The collision loss rate is extracted by accurately fitting the loss curve of the cold atom. In order to improve the accuracy of vacuum inversion and reduce the influence of quantum diffractive collision on loss rate measurement, the trap depth under the conditions of a certain cooling laser intensity, detuning, and magnetic field gradient is determined by the photoassociation method. Finally, in a range of 1 × 10<sup>–8</sup>–5 × 10<sup>–6</sup> Pa, the inverted pressure value is compared with the measured value of the ionization meter, proving that this method has good accuracy and reliability in the inversion of vacuum pressure. At present, the main factor restricting the improvement of accuracy is the influence of the collision between the excited atoms in the magneto-optical trap and the background gas on the loss rate measurement. In the future, with the proportion of excited atoms and the excited state <i>C</i><sub>6</sub> coefficient to be precisely determined, the uncertainty of vacuum pressure measurement can be further reduced.

On the stability of diffuse attachment on the hot cathode of vacuum arc

On the stability of diffuse attachment on the hot cathode of vacuum arc

Experimental Investigation of Current Jumps in Linear Geometry Hot Cathode Ionization Gauges in Strong Magnetic Fields

Experimental Investigation of Current Jumps in Linear Geometry Hot Cathode Ionization Gauges in Strong Magnetic Fields

Simulation studies of beam dynamics in 50 MeV linear accelerator with laser-plasma electron gun

Conventionally, electron guns with thermionic cathodes or field-emission cathodes are used for research or technological linear accelerators. RF-photoguns are used to provide the short electron bunches which could be used for FEL’s of compact research facilities to generate monochromatic photons. Low energy of emitted electrons is the key problem for photoguns due to high influence of Coulomb field and difficulties with the first accelerating cell simulation and construction. Contrary, plasma sources, based on the laser-plasma wakefield acceleration, have very high acceleration gradient but rather broad energy spectrum compared with conventional thermoguns or field-emission guns. The beam dynamics in the linear accelerator combines the laser-plasma electron source and conventional RF linear accelerator is discussed in this paper. Method to capture and re-accelerate the short picosecond bunch with extremely broad energy spread (up to 50 %) is presented. Numerical simulation shows that such bunches can be accelerated in RF linear accelerator to the energy of 50 MeV with output energy spread not higher than 1 % .

Functionalized carbon nanotubes for thermionic emission and cooling applications

Barium strontium oxide-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were implemented as a work function lowering and field enhancing functional coating on a coiled tungsten filament to create a new thermionic cathode. This cathode resembles conventional oxide cathodes in structure. It has the same coiled tungsten filament as a conventional oxide cathode but uses barium strontium oxide-coated CNTs instead of the traditional barium strontium calcium oxide powder mixture as an emissive coating. The cathode produces a strong thermionic emission. At 1395 K and 2.5 V/μm, the thermionic emission current of 0.87 A or current density of 2.9 A/cm2 was obtained from this oxide-coated CNT cathode. This level of emission is about three times as large as a conventional oxide cathode operating at similar temperature and field strength. Strong thermionic emissions from the cathode also lead to a large thermionic cooling effect. Temperature reduction as large as 90° was observed from the cathode surface when it was emitting electrons. Strong thermionic emission and a large cooling effect obtained are the result of the combination of the low work function of barium strontium oxide (1.6 eV) and the large field effect induced by the CNTs. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was used to grow CNTs, and magnetron sputtering deposition was used to deposit the barium strontium oxide functional coating; details of the cathode fabrication are presented to illustrate both the versatility of the processing techniques and the adaptability of barium strontium oxide-coated CNTs as a functional coating. Measurements on thermionic emission and thermionic cooling of the cathode are also presented.

Beam-Plasma Stabilizer for the New Type of Nuclear Power Energy Systems

In this paper the electrokinetic characteristics of helium low-voltage beam discharge plasma in operating conditions of a three-electrode device with a hot cathode are studied. A method and a device are proposed to ensure effective voltage stabilization in a range up to 110 V by controlling the electron velocity distribution function using the plasma channel external boundaries.

A simple replacement of tungsten filament hot cathodes by DC heated LaB6 rod and its noise characteristics with laser-induced fluorescence.

Hot cathode discharges are common plasma sources for fundamental plasma physics studies and other applications due to their quiescent and relatively simple properties, and tungsten filaments are commonly used for the ease of heating them. Recently, tungsten filaments are increasingly being replaced by less luminous alternatives, such as barium oxide or lanthanum hexaboride. These materials can emit electrons at temperatures close to 1000K lower than tungsten, greatly reducing their blackbody radiations. This results in significant improvement in signal recovery for active spectral diagnostic, such as laser-induced fluorescence. However, these less luminous cathodes often come in vastly more complicated designs than those of tungsten hot cathodes and are much more expensive to procure and difficult to operate. In this paper, we present a simple, low cost direct current heated designof a LaB6 cathode that is manufactured at suitable dimensions and make a comparison of the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) signal-to-noise ratio of this LaB6 hot cathode discharge with that of a typical tungsten filament discharge, revealing that LaB6 has, indeed, an improved LIF signal-to-noise ratio compared with the tungsten filament.

Investigation of service life characteristics of hot cathodes in arc plasmatrons

Among the applied challenges associated with the use of electric-arc plasma, the most urgent is the erosion of electrodes in plasmatrons, which determine the continuous operation of an electric-plasma device. Investigation results on the thermal state of hot cathodes and their erosion are presented depending on the main defining parameters, namely geometrical dimensions of electrodes, Joule heating, current of the arc discharge, and the gas medium. The conditions for the minimum specific erosion and long service life of tungsten thermionic cathodes are established experimentally.

Sputter hot filament hollow cathode ion source and its application to ultra-low energy ion implantation in 2D materials

We describe the design of a new ion source that combines a hot filament hollow cathode source with a sputtering source. This combination makes it possible to provide ion beams of a wider range that previously could not be used due to respective high melting points and low vapor pressure of the needed elements. We demonstrate the sources viability for molybdenum, cobalt, niobium and the rare-earth element gadolinium. An implantation current of 20–900nA on the sample, depending on the element, could be achieved. Moreover, we experimentally prove that these ion beams are suitable for ultra-low energy implantation into 2D materials like graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Furthermore, computational studies were conducted to investigate the ion trajectories within the source and ion implantation into 2D materials. RBS and PIXE measurements were performed to quantitative investigate the implanted samples.