Experimental investigation of operational parameters of a prototype radio frequency plasma cathode

Plasma cathodes have attracted much attention in recent years, and various types of such cathodes have been developed and tested by different research groups. In these types of electron sources, a bulk plasma is generated inside a vessel, which has an orifice at its front plate. Then, by applying a positive potential outside the vessel, electrons of the bulk plasma are extracted from this orifice. Various plasma sources, such as helicon, electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), microwave and radio frequency (RF) are used for the bulk plasma generation of the plasma cathode devices. Compact geometry, easy generation, and high density and efficiency of the RF plasma make it preferable for the plasma cathode applications. In this study, the operation procedures and characteristics of a prototype RF cathode device are described. In addition, some experimental results from the testing of the prototype RF cathode are presented.