Abstract
A cold cathode gun of high current pulsed electron beam was investigated for an eventualuse as a CO2 laser discharge sustainer.Measured performance characteristics, suchas gun impedance, gun current behaviors as a function of applied voltage and cathodematerlal Ta and Ti were consistent with the pnasma cathode model using the evapoiationof cathode metal. The electron beam current was determined by the space chargelimited flow from the expanding plasma cathode surface.The maximum current densitywas determined by the electron satumtion current on the cathode plasma surface. By the fandamental investigations, optimum design for a large apature and uniform electronbeam source are presented.
