Experimental study of the plasma cathode electron gun

The high-power microwave devices filled with plasma have unique properties. One of the major problems associated with plasma-filled microwave sources is that ions from the plasma drift toward the gun regions of the tube. This bombardment is particularly dangerous for the gun, where high-energy ion impacts can damage the cathode surface and degrade its electron emission capabilities. One of the techniques investigated to mitigate this issue is to replace the material cathode with plasma cathode. A unique plasma cathode electron gun are investigated experimentally. The PCE-gun has been operated at pulse voltage up to 8 kV, discharge current up to 140 A, and pulse lengths up to 60 μs.