Properties of a High-Power Ion Beam with Particle Energy up to 1 MeV Obtained from a Plasma Created by a High-Voltage Pulse on a Graphite Cathode

Abstract—The features of the method for generating gas-vapor plasma and the characteristics of a high-power ion beam (HPIB) obtained in a vacuum diode with a graphite cathode using a plasma-forming high-voltage nanosecond pulse are described. The cathode material and the two-pulse mode of operation of the TEMP-4 type diode make it possible to form a multicomponent nanosecond HPIB with a maximum ion energy of up to 1 MeV, a particle flux density on the surface of ~10¹³ ion/cm², and a power density on the sample surface of up to 10⁷ W/cm² to modify the surface properties of structural materials. Materials are published within the framework of scientific discussion. The authors invite researchers of the generation of high-power beams of non-gas ions and the processes of beam modification of solid-state materials to discuss the topics of this article.