Study on the dynamics of plasma-filled diode system performance

Use of plasma-filled diode systems (PFS) as a load or switches in nanosecond high-current accelerators seems perspective for ion beam production. Dynamics of voltage distribution in time in PFS accelerating gaps located in 0.22 T longitudinal magnetic field is studied experimentally. Cathode plasma erosion rate was studied under conditions of plasma high current and accumulation of space charge in near-electrode layers. Different PFS modifications were studied as well. It is shown that formation of a near-cathode double layer with main drop of applied voltage constitutes several tens of nanoseconds in plasma-filled diode without electron oscillations or in a double reflective diode with a thin solid anode. During rapid current growth in plasma column a significant voltage drop is observed, and average strength of electric field constitutes E ∼ 104 V/cm. Dynamics of formation and expansion of near-electrode double layers depends strongly on geometrical transparence of anode