摘要 |
Apparatus and method for producing a plurienergetic electron beam source. The apparatus includes a housing which functions as an anode, the same having an electron emission window covered by an electron-transparent grid, a cathode body mounted within the housing and electrically isolated therefrom, the spacing between the cathode body and grid being sufficient to permit a gas discharge to be maintained between them having a plasma region substantially thinner than the cathode sheath region. The method involves the simultaneous feeding of gas between a cathode body and an anode grid, applying voltages of about 10 kV to 20 kV and regulating the gas feed rate and the voltage to maintain a discharge condition of the character described above.
|