Competing types of electron emission in a low-pressure arc-based plasma grid emitter

R. A. Kartavtsov^a, M. A. Mokeev^a, M. S. Vorobyov^ab, A. A. Grishkov^a, N. N. Koval'^a, S. Yu. Doroshkevich^a, P. V. Moskvin^a, D. A. Gorkovskaya<sup>a

a</sup> Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk
^b Tomsk Polytechnic University

Abstract: In an electronic source with a grid plasma emitter (SPE) and a plasma anode with an open plasma boundary, studies of electron emission in a wide range of parameter variations have been carried out. The competition of two types of electron emission from the surface of the cathode electrodes of the SPE under the action of accelerated ions coming from the accelerating gap has been experimentally demonstrated. It is shown that an increase in the current in the accelerating gap leads to a redistribution of currents in the SPE, and is accompanied by an increase in the ion-electron emission current and a proportional decrease in the electron emission current from the cathode spot down to zero.

Keywords: plasma electron source, low-pressure arc, ion-electron emission, cathode spot, anode plasma.

Received: 24.06.2025
Revised: 16.07.2025
Accepted: 16.07.2025

DOI: 10.21883/0000000000

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