Experimental verification of the grid effects in a velocity analyzer with variable geometry

Abstract

A velocity analyzer with adjustable interelectrodic distances is described here. Several experiments have been performed in a double plasma machine with this analyzer of variable geometry in order to investigate the effects of the discontinuous structure of the grids. The measured displacements of the characteristic curve for different interelectrodic distances show excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions due to the depletion of the discriminating potential in the holes of the grid, as is shown in our recent theoretical analysis using a Schwarz–Christoffel transformation. The influence of the grid structure on the temperature determined from the characteristic curve is also investigated and the correlation experiment theory is qualitatively correct.