Fast Imaging of Ablation Plasma Produced by a Pulsed Electron Beam

The expansion of the ablation plasma plume produced at the interaction of a pulsed electron beam with a target is studied by fast imaging. The plasma plume has a forward-peaked pattern, with a slight spatial deviation from the normal to the target due to the presence of the capillary tube of the channel-spark electron source near the target. The emitting plasma species have energies between 10 and 60 eV.