The discharge excited atom beam source we designed uses a trigger electrode between a nozzle and skimmer to generate a metastable helium atom beam that is directly discharge pulsed. A pulsed discharge current up to 200 mA maintained between the needle cathode behind the nozzle and the skimmer anode produced an intense pulsed metastable helium atom beam equivalent to a continuous total flux of 1.7 × 10↑(15) s↑(-1) sr↑(-1) with mechanical chopping.
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