Current modulation in liquid-metal ion sources in alternating electric-field

It has been shown that the values of the static and alternating current in a liquid-metal ion source (LMIS) are determined by the magnitude of the liquid-metal viscous flow on the needle surface, appearing under the action of negative electric pressure in the vicinity of Taylor's cone base. The strong decreasing of current modulation degree at high frequencies is determined by the inertia of the viscous flow. The obtained results allow one to determine the frequency range in which significant current modulation is possible when a comparatively low alternating voltage is supplied to the LMIS.