Influence of Hollow Cathode Geometry on the Parameters of a Forevacuum Plasma Electron Source

We present the results of our exploration of the influence of cathode cavity geometry on the parameters of a forevacuum-pressure plasma-cathode electron source based on a hollow cathode glow discharge with an extended plasma emission surface. We show that the electron emission current of the source depends nonmonotonically on the diameter of the cathode cavity output aperture. Increased electron emission current and electron beam power are obtained with optimized cathode cavity geometry, opening up possibilities for the use of the source in electron-beam technologies for the modification of high-temperature dielectric materials.