Relaxation of an electron beam in a crossed-field beam-plasma discharge

The conditions for the formation of a plasma with a high degree of ionization by an electron beam (U/sub b/ = 5 kV, I/sub b/ = 0.07 A) have been studied experimentally in krypton at a density n0 = 3 x 1012 cm-3, in crossed electric and magnetic fields. Imposing a resonant electric field can cause both the onset of a volume discharge (under these conditions the dissipation of the beam power increases sharply) and a cutoff of the discharge. An increase in the magnetic field from 8 and 12 kG causes an increase in the power dissipation. The dissipation of the beam power has been studied as a function of the longitudinal dimension of the working volume, in which the beam interacts with the gas. Below a certain minimum length of this region a volume discharge can no longer be formed. The results of this study may prove useful for developing a plasma centrifuge which operates by means of a beam-plasma discharge