The Numerical Simulation Study of Pseudospark Hollow Cathode Discharge

Pseudospark discharges are sources of intense electron beams. Reported in this paper are theoretical studies of the Pseudospark discharges. A theoretical and computational model has been adopted to study the initiation phase of Pseudospark discharges via a two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell plus Monte Carlo (PIC-MCC) collision method. From the numerical results, a sequence of physical events has been identified. It has been found that the ionization processes determined by local electric field and hollow cathode effect. The growth phenomena is dependent of α ionization multiplication due to local space charge from initial ionization growth to onset of the hollow cathode effect, and then hollow cathode effect become leading factor.