Dynamic Power Control of a Submillisecond Pulsed Megawatt Electron Beam in a Source with a Plasma Cathode.

We describe a method for dynamic power control of a submillisecond pulsed electron beam in a "SOLO" type source with plasma cathode. The beam power is controlled by dynamic variation of the beam current amplitude with the corresponding low-inertia change in the concentration of emissive plasma. This method can be used to generate submillisecond electron beams of variable power (up to 10 MW at a maximum variation rate not exceeding 0.5 W/μs)—in particular, for the processing of various metallic materials with modification of their functional properties by controlled beam energy supply to the material surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]