RADIO-FREQUENCY EREAKDOWN CONTROLLED BY DRIFT OF ELECTRONS IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS MAGNETIC FIELD
Keyword(s):
A study has been made of r-f. breakdown in which the controlling loss mechanism arises from the drift of electrons in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The study was carried out using a toroidal system with parallel r-f. electric and steady magnetic fields. An approximate average-electron theory of drift-controlled breakdown is presented. Experimental measurements of breakdown r-f. electric field versus magnetic field were made at various pressures from 1.25 to 6.0 × 10−3 mm of Hg, using hydrogen and helium gases. A radio frequency of 8 Mc/sec was used. Magnetic fields up to 2000 gauss were employed. The r-f. breakdown field was found to vary as the inverse square root of the magnetic field as predicted by the theory.