Lanthanum hexaboride tapered filament in a plasma source

A directly heated lanthanum hexaboride tapered filament has been tested in a plasma generator. A uniform temperature distribution at 1820 K has been achieved. The heating and cooling power calculated from measured quantities are balanced. A maximum arc current of 80 A was obtained, limited only by the power supply and plasma generator. The corresponding hydrogen ion current density was 0.6 A/cm2 when the arc voltage was 80 V and the filament heater current was about 5 A. The filament was capable of emitting 100 A of current at an operating temperature of 1900 K. The estimated lifetime for this filament is 900 h.