Comparison of carbon fiber and cesium iodide-coated carbon fiber cathodes

Presents results of an experimental comparison of a bare carbon fiber cathode and the same cathode when coated with cesium iodide salt (CsI). An annular cathode was constructed by arranging carbon fibers in an annular tuft pattern. The cathode was then operated as a bare carbon fiber cathode and in a configuration with a CsI coating. The cathode was tested at electric field strengths ranging from 50 kV/cm to 265 kV/cm at anode-cathode (A-K) gaps of 3.175 cm. The applied voltage had a 1-/spl mu/s duration and the modulator was operated at up to 1 Hz repetition rate. The system had a low base pressure (<1.0/spl times/10/sup -7/ torr). The article reports on results concerning the conditioning of the cathodes, the shot-to-shot reproducibility of the cathodes and the pressure evolution of the diode under 1 Hz operation. We also report on the impedance evolution of each of the diodes.