Plasma density distribution in the discharge with an extended hollow cathode of the fore-vacuum plasma electron source
The article presents the results of an investigation of the plasma density distribution in a hollow cathode discharge of a ribbon electron beam source. The investigations were carried out in the forvacuum pressure range (10-30 Pa). It is shown that the change in the geometry of the cathode cavity, pressure, and magnitude of the discharge current affects the character of the distribution of the plasma density near the emission boundary. Formation of a homogeneous distribution is possible using a relatively wide and deep cathode cavity. A decrease in the depth of the cathode cavity leads to the appearance of plasma density maxima near the edges of the cavity. A model describing the ionization and current transfer processes occurring in the discharge system under investigation is proposed.