Spectroscopic investigation of the plasma in a hollow anode with an incorporated ferroelectric plasma source

Spectroscopic measurements are reported of the plasma formed inside a hollow anode (HA) with a ferroelectric plasma source (FPS) incorporated in it. The HA was used as a cathode in a diode supplied by an accelerating pulse (less than or equal to300 kV, less than or equal to400 ns). It was found that the HA discharge (1.2 kA, 10 mus) is accompanied by the formation of a dense (approximate to8x10(14) cm(-3)) plasma layer at the surface of the FPS. This surface plasma serves as a practically unlimited source of electrons. In the bulk of the HA plasma the density is approximate to3x10(13) cm(-3) and it remains the same during the accelerating pulse whereas the plasma electron temperature increases from 4 to 11 eV. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.