Operation of passive wax flashover and LiF ion sources on extraction applied-B ion diodes on SABRE

Summary form only given. Wax flashover and LiF anodes are being fielded on an extraction ion diode on SABRE (Sandia Accelerator and Beam Research Experiment). These anodes are passive sources of principally hydrocarbon and lithium beams. The authors have considered the effect of magnetic field geometry and the important role of cathode feed electrons in the formation and evolution of the A-K gap electron sheath in the diode. It has been found that the performance of both passive sources is limited by an impedance collapse mechanism that may be due to the presence of neutrals generated in the gap during the power pulse.