Pulse energy of a non-relativistic, high-current electron beam

Energetic characteristics of a high-current electron gun with a cathode assembly based on multi-gap initiation of explosive emission by dielectric surface flashover in the mode of vacuum and gas-filled diode were investigated. It has been shown that it is better to measure high-current electron beam pulse energy using a calorimetric (thermal imaging) method than to calculate it from the waveforms of accelerating voltage and beam current onto collector (target) since the beam current values may be essentially overstated because of decay current of a dense plasma emergent under the bombardment of a collector by the beam electrons. The best efficiency of the energy transfer from the capacitive storage of the high-voltage pulsed generator supplying an electron gun was observed in the case of gas-filled diode at a moderate pressure of the working gas (argon, 0.093 Pa).