Penning plasma source of electrons

This paper discloses the experimental results of the investigation of a plasma source for electrons, in which the plasma of Penning gas discharge with dissected anode is used as an emitter. In all investigated regimes the electron current density radial distribution was nonuniform with the maximum at some unequal to zero value r = rmax. The position of the current density maximum along the radius was controlled by changing the external magnetic field strength H0 and the lateral anode sections potential U2. The value of beam current radial nonuniformity changed from 60% to 20%. The beam current value was controlled by changing the central anode section voltage U1 without changing the discharge characteristics of the source of electrons. In this case for U1 = 0.8 · U2 the beam current reached its maximal value. Energy of electrons, depending on the source functioning regime, changed within the limits (20--40) eV for the extracting electrodes potential UB = 0. The current efficiency of such source of electrons is (20--30)%