Electron Dynamics of the Rod-Pinch Diode in the Cygnus Experiment at Los Alamos

Abstract

In this work, two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to examine the electron physics in the rod-pinch diode, a device that can be used to produce a relatively low-energy (a few MeV) radiographic electron source. It is found that with diode parameters for which the electrons' dominant dynamics are approximated well as a magnetized fluid, the diode produces an electron source with a desired small spot size as the electrons drift to and impinge on the anode tip. However, for a large cathode-toanode radius ratio, a population of electrons that consists predominantly of electrons emitted from the downstream surface of the cathode is found to propagate in the upstream direction and the diode may perform anomalously as a consequence. A method is proposed for improving the quality of the electron source by suppressing electron emission from the downstream cathode surface to reduce the presence of unmagnetized electrons.

Electron Emission Suppression from Cathode Surfaces of a Rod-Pinch Diode

“…[2−5] Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the electron dynamics and spatial distribution in Ref. [6] indicate that large amount of electrons propagate in the upstream direction and make the diode perform anomalously. Many of these electrons are emitted from the downstream cathode surface.…”

“…Therefore it is suggested to improve the electron pinching quality for radiography by suppressing electron emission from the downstream surface. [6] In addition, the investigation of electron emission suppression is beneficial to researches on emission characteristics of different cathode surfaces or different sites on the same surface for kinds of diodes.…”