Dynamic power control of a submillisecond pulsed megawatt electron beam in a source with a plasma cathode

The paper describes a method for a controlled change in the power of an electron beam during a pulse of submillisecond duration, using a source “SOLO” with a plasma cathode. The beam power is controlled by changing the amplitude of the beam current with a corresponding change in the concentration of the emission plasma. This control method allows generating submillisecond beams of variable power (up to 10 MW at a maximum rate of change of no more than 0.5 MW/$\mu$s), which can be used for processing various metallic materials in order to change the functional properties of their surface with the ability to control the rate of input of beam energy into the surface of these materials.