Effect of secondary electron emission on subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge

TL;DR

This paper investigates how secondary electron emission influences the rapid subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharges in helium, combining experiments and simulations to understand plasma behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates the control of current growth time via secondary electron emission and explores the effects of different cathode materials on breakdown characteristics.

Findings

Secondary electron yield affects the current growth time.

Cathode material influences plasma parameters.

The breakdown area depends on voltage and pressure.

Abstract

A subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge is studied in experiment and in kinetic simulations for mid-high pressure in helium. It is shown that the characteristic time of the current growth can be controlled by the secondary electron emission. We test the influence of secondary electron yield on plasma parameters for three types of cathodes made from titanium, silicon carbide and CuAlMg-alloy. By changing the pulse voltage amplitude and gas pressure, the area of existence of subnanosecond breakdown is identified.