A Gas Discharge Electron Gun for the Generation of Submicrosecond Pulses of High Energy Electrons

The pulsed electron gun described in this paper is of simple construction and is intended for use in studies of ionization and excitation in high pressure gases. It employs a high-voltage discharge in helium gas and emits a 50 mm diam beam of 100 keV electrons through a titanium foil window, the transmitted pulse having an energy of approximately 1 J. The use of a coaxial discharge circuit results in a pulse duration of the order of 100 nsec. Graphs are presented showing the performance as a function of the voltage applied to the gun and of the gas pressure in the discharge region. It was found that adjustment of this pressure over the range 1–40 Pa varied the pulse duration from 300–30 nsec.