We discuss the results of our investigations on the transport of a powerful (up to 10 kW) low-energy electron beam generated by a plasma–cathode electron source in the forevacuum range of pressure (30Pa). We have studied the processes of plasma generation by the electron beam and determined the conditions for initiation of a ‘beam-plasma discharge’. We show that at a working gas pressure of 30Pa, the beam-plasma discharge manifests itself most clearly in the range of accelerating voltage of 6–10 kV at electron beam currents of more than 200 mA. The onset of the beam-plasma discharge is characterized by an increase in the density of the beam plasma by approximately an order of magnitude, up to 10¹⁶m⁻³, and an increase in the plasma electron temperature from 2 to 4.0eV.

我们讨论了对由等离子体阴极电子源在前真空压力范围 (30Pa) 中产生的强大（高达 10 kW）低能电子束传输的研究结果。我们研究了电子束产​​生等离子体的过程，并确定了引发“束-等离子体放电”的条件。我们表明，在 30Pa 的工作气压下，束等离子体放电在超过 200 mA 的电子束电流下在 6-10 kV 的加速电压范围内表现得最为明显。束等离子体放电的开始的特征在于束等离子体的密度增加了大约一个数量级，高达10 ¹⁶ m ^-3，并且等离子体电子温度从2eV增加到4.0eV。