Comparison of Large-Area Low-Energy Electron Accelerators Based on a High-Voltage Glow Discharge with Accelerators Based on Longitudinal Filaments

Abstract—A wide-aperture low-energy electron accelerator based on a high-voltage glow discharge (HVGD) is considered in comparison with accelerators based on a number of longitudinal filaments. The basic design features and advantages of HVGD-based accelerators are presented. These studies showed that it is possible to obtain high values of the density of the electron beam current extracted from the foil (56 µA/cm2) and rather high values of the beam extraction efficiency (35%) in comparison with the previously attained results. The obtained characteristics are comparable with the parameters of the accelerators based on a number of longitudinal filaments. The ability of the accelerator to operate with HVGD is demonstrated both in continuous and pulse–periodic modes without a change in its design. Various ion–electron optical systems of HVGD accelerators have been studied and the advantages of slit-type systems are shown.