Repetitive operation of an inductively‐driven electron‐beam diode

Recovery of a pulsed electron beam diode operating in the 50 A/cm2 range has been studied using an inductive storage source producing two∼150 kV pulses with pulse‐to‐pulse separation ranging from 10–500 μsec. The diode cannot instantaneously support a second voltage pulse because of the short circuit provided by the interelectrode plasma associated with the first pulse. The properties of this plasma, including its effective lifetime, have been studied. The diode is observed to recover for pulse separation times≳100 μsec. The results can be extended to repetitively pulsed electron beam generation as needed in many physics experiments such as those related to beam propagation in gases, opening switches, and laser phenomenon.