High-current electron beams with a current density of up to
100 A/cm2 generated by a plasma-cathode gas-filled
diode at low accelerating voltages are studied. Two types of gas
discharges are used to produce plasma in the cathode. With glow
and arc discharges, beam currents of up to 150 A and 400 A, respectively,
have been obtained at an accelerating voltage of 16 kV and at a
pressure of 1–3·10−2 Pa in the acceleration
gap. The ions resulting from ionization of gas molecules by electrons
of the beam neutralize the beam charge. The charge-neutralized electron
beam almost without losses is transported over a distance of 30 cm in a
drift channel which is in the axial magnetic field induced by Helmholtz
coils. The results of calculations for the motion of electrons of the
charge-neutralized beam with and without axial external field
are presented and compared with those of experiments.