Effect of electric-field perturbations near the anode on the oscillations on a penning discharge

In an attempt to determine the nature of the oscillations which arise in a Penning discharge, a study has been made of the role played by perturbations caused in the electric field near the anode by longitudinal apertures in the cylindrical anode. The radial potential drop was measured by the "ion-kinetics" method. A study was also made of the sensitivity of the discharge oscillations to the potential on probes placed in the anode apertures.