Supershort avalanche electron beam generation in gases

Abstract

This paper reports on the properties of a supershort avalanche electron beam generated in the air or other gases under atmospheric pressure and gives the analysis of a generation mechanism of supershort avalanche electron beam, as well as methods of such electron beams registration. It is reported that in the air under the pressure of 1 atm, a supershort (<100ps) avalanche electron beam is formed in the solid angle more than 2 steradian. The electron beam has been obtained behind a 45m thick Al-Be foil in SF6 and Xe under the pressure of 2 atm, and in He, under the pressure of about 15 atm. It is shown that in SF6 under the high pressure (>1 atm) duration (full width at half maximum) of supershort avalanche electron beam pulse is about 150 ps. © 2008 Copyright Cambridge University Press 2008.