Разработана система измерения распределения плотности тока в электронных пучках большого сечения, использующая цилиндры Фарадея, микропроцессор и персональный компьютер. Система предназначена для исследования параметров выведенного пучка электронов широкоапертурных ускорителей – устройств ионизации электроионизационных лазеров и ускорителей для технологических применений. Она обеспечивает контроль плотности тока по сечению пучка в режиме реального времени с относительной точностью измерений не хуже ±2.

A system for real-time measurements of the current-density distribution in electron beams ejected from large-area electron accelerators has been developed. The system, which is based on Faraday cups, a microprocessor, and a PC, is designed for measuring the parameters of the electron beams ejected from large-area accelerators—devices for ionizing electroionization lasers and technological accelerators—and ensures real-time monitoring of the current-density distribution over the electron-beam cross section with a relative measurement accuracy of at least ±2%.

Model calculations and experiments were performed in order to study possibilities of increasing the efficiency of wide-aperture electron accelerators based on the high-voltage glow discharge. Methods have been outlined that allow the beam ejection coefficient to be increased to nearly limiting values determined by the coefficient of beam attenuation in the output foil. An experimental electron beam ejected from an accelerator operating in the continuous mode had a current density of up to 55 mu A/cm(2) and an efficiency of 0.62 (for a calculated limiting value of 0.72-0.75).

An ionisation device was developed and tested as part of a supersonic electron-beam-sustained cw laser. This device was a wide-aperture electron accelerator with extended but discrete thermionic emitters. The density of the current extracted from this accelerator was up to 75 μA cm-2. Experimental and theoretical investigations were made of the characteristics and of the thermal conditions of the operation of this ionisation device.