Measuring setup for study and technological optimization of field and thermal field electron sources to be applied in spacecraft

A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute has developed a high-voltage vacuum measuring setup being used for fundamental research of electron sources from nanostructured materials. A technique has been developed for determining basic emission parameters of field and thermal field emitters in real-time, simultaneously with processing of mass spectrometer data and emission glow patterns. An algorithm for studying vacuum electron emitters has been developed and implemented. The result of life testing of emitters and cathodes on their basis is a Passport of Emission Samples. It is expected that wide capabilities of the developed software-controlled measuring complex, multi-disciplinary nature of the ongoing research, as well as the developed and implemented advanced methods for studying vacuum electron sources will enable to make a strong contribution to the development of space engineering and technologies, which is impossible without studying emission and thermionic properties of new materials, as well as technological structural optimization derived from them.