High-Power Subnanosecond Beams of Runaway Electrons Generated in Dense Gases

Abstract

New understanding of the mechanism of runaway electrons beam generation in gases is presented. It is shown that the Townsend mechanism of avalanche electron multiplication is valid even for strong electric fields when the electron ionization friction on the gas may be neglected. A non-local criterion for runaway electron generation is proposed. This criterion results in the universal two-valued dependence of critical voltage Ucr on pd for a certain gas (p is pressure, d is interelectrode distance). This dependence subdivides a plane (U, pd) onto an area of efficient electron multiplication and an area where the electrons leave the gas gap without multiplication. On the basis of this dependence analogs of Paschen's curves are constructed, which contain an additional new upper branch. This brunch demarcates the area of discharge and the e-beam area.