X-ray diagnostics of runaway electrons generated during nanosecond discharge in gas at elevated pressures

The properties of high-energy runaway electrons generated during a nanosecond discharge in an air filled diode at pressures up to 3 × 105 Pa were studied using x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results of studies of the discharge at different pressures and with different lengths of cathode-anode gap allow an insight into the factors that influence the energy distribution of runaway electrons. Energy distribution functions for runaway electrons produced in particle-in-cell simulation were used to create the x-ray attenuation curves via a computer-assisted technique simulating the generation of x-ray by energetic electrons. The simulated attenuation curves were compared to experimental results.