Kinetics of Electron in Transient Mode of Current Switching in Planar Vacuum Diode

This paper deals with the theoretical explanation of electrons appearance with kinetic energies above the maximum applied voltage (multiplied by the electron charge). Using the basic principles of physical kinetics it was shown that such electrons exist in pulsed vacuum discharges having nanosecond durations. With short risetime of the voltage pulse the relaxation oscillations are formed during in the establishing a stationary current flow through the diode. The initial burst of relaxation current is associated with the arrival of an electron beam at the anode. Typically, energy spectrum of this beam has an average energy that is 20% higher than the value of the applied voltage.