Double layers in a high-current plasma-filled diode

A self-similar solution is studied for the one-dimensional hydrodynamic problem of the expansion of the double layer which forms near the cathode in the plasma in the diode of a high-current accelerator. The plasma is produced by an external source and is fully ionized. A power-law time dependence is assumed for the external voltage. The motion is nonrelativistic, steady-state for the electrons and time-varying for the ions. The time evolution of the characteristics of the diode and the double layer is determined for the stage of the intense dissipation of plasma and the increase in the double layer at the leading edge of the voltage pulse. The results are compared with experimental data