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Electrical, optical and polarization characteristics of nanosecond discharges in the short interelectrode gap have been experimentally researched. The conditions and mechanisms of accelerated electrons formation are established. The estimates of energy, the length of accelerated electrons run and electron beam generation efficiency in the investigated discharge are obtained. The formation of electron beams is confirmed by the studies of polarization of spontaneous discharge irradiation.

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The article presents the results of an experimental study and numerical modelling for the formation and development dynamics of a high-voltage transverse nanosecond discharge generated by a slot cathode in an argon medium at a pressure range of 1-10 Torr. Numerical modelling was carried out under similar experimental conditions for the processes of formation and propagation of ionisation waves, electron density distribution, excited atom and average electron energy in the discharge gap, including the cavity inside the cathode. At a pressure of p=1 Torr, a classical version of a high-voltage discharge is demonstrated to take place with no penetration of the plasma into the cathode cavity and no observed hollow cathode effect. An increase in gas pressure to 5 Torr leads to a penetration of plasma into the cathode cavity with the formation of a cathodic potential drop (CPD) region. Electrons emitted from the side surfaces of the cavity pass through the CPD region without collisions, oscillate inside the cathode cavity; the hollow cathode effect is fully manifested. At р=10 Torr, the modelling results qualitatively coincide with the results at р=5 Torr; in this case, however, hardly any accelerated electrons are observed in the gap between the electrodes, due to their energetic relaxation both inside the cathode cavity and when exiting from it. In both cases, the plasma structure formed at the exit of the cathode cavity involves a concentration of charged particles an order of magnitude higher than that in the rest of the gap, leading to a self-limiting discharge current effect. The results of the numerical modelling are in good agreement with experimental data.

A high-voltage transverse pulsed nanosecond discharge with a slotted hollow cathode was found to be a source of high-energy (few kV) ribbon electron beams. Conditions for the formation and extinction of electron beams were experimentally studied in discharges in helium at pressures of 1-100 Torr. It was found that interaction of fast electrons with a non-uniform electric field near the slotted cathode led to limitation of the magnitude of the discharge current. A physical model was developed to describe the discharge current self-limitation that was in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results. Some technical solutions that are expected to increase the upper current limits in transverse nanosecond discharge are discussed.