A multibeam generator of gas-discharge plasma

摘要

A device that produces gas-discharge plasma streams with a predetermined cross-sectional shape is proposed. It contains a base and a hollow cathode attached to it, which are coaxially placed in the hollow anode. Between these electrodes, an electric-insulation layer of Teflon-4 is laid, whose thickness changes within the range lambda (e) < h < 3 lambda (e) , where lambda (e) is the electron free path in a gas-discharge plasma stream. The anode is a cavity closed with a cover, which forms a U-shaped space in the anode volume. Coaxial holes of a predetermined shape were made in the anode, cathode, and insulation. The device provides a discharge current of up to 1 D, an accelerating voltage across the electrodes of 0.3-1 kV, and an energy of charged particles in a plasma stream of 10-425 eV. In this case, the plasma stream propagates beyond the borders of the electrodes to a distance of 10-140 mm.