Controlling the radiation frequency of a plasma relativistic microwave oscillator during a nanosecond pulse

It is shown experimentally and by numerical simulation that the radiation frequency of a 50-MW plasma relativistic microwave oscillator can be varied within 15% during a 60-ns-wide pulse by varying the plasma concentration. The plasma is generated by pre-ionization of a low-pressure gas. When the degree of ionization increases in a microwave field, the radiation frequency rises. Conversely, when plasma electrons are forced out by the electrostatic field of a high-current relativistic electron beam, the radiation frequency declines. By appropriately selecting the initial gas pressure and degree of gas ionization, one can control both trends and thereby the radiation frequency.     

L波段微波脉冲对微型计算机的辐照效应实验

 在L波段使用1.3 GHz载波频率的微波脉冲辐照微型计算机主板，通过改变脉冲宽度、重复频率和脉冲串长度等参数，实验研究了微波脉冲辐照导致微型计算机失去响应的功率阈值的变化规律，讨论了L波段微波脉冲辐射的积累效应。实验结果表明：当微波脉冲宽度增加时，微波功率阈值下降；当微波脉冲重复频率升高时，微波功率阈值呈下降趋势；在固定重复频率的条件下，微波脉冲数目的增加也会导致微波功率阈值的下降；微波脉冲功率阈值始终小于连续波微波的功率阈值。当微波脉冲间隔时间较长或者脉冲宽度较宽时，微波功率阈值由单个微波脉冲的参数确定，与脉冲重复频率没有明显关系。利用假设的微波脉冲辐射积累效应，可以定性解释和分析微波脉冲辐照微型计算机实验中功率阈值变化的趋势。     

Manipulating electromagnetic waves in magnetized plasmas: compression, frequency shifting, and release

A new approach to manipulating the duration and frequency of microwave pulses using magnetized plasmas is demonstrated. The plasma accomplishes two functions: (i) slowing down and spatially compressing the incident wave, and (ii) modifying the propagation properties (group velocity and frequency) of the wave in the plasma during a uniform in space adiabatic in time variation of the magnitude and/or direction of the magnetic field. The increase in the group velocity results in the shortening of the temporal pulse duration. Depending on the plasma parameters, the frequency of the outgoing compressed pulse can either change or remain unchanged. Such dynamic manipulation of radiation in plasma opens new avenues for manipulating high power microwave pulses.     

Experimental observation of further frequency upshift from dc to ac radiation converter with perpendicular dc magnetic field

A frequency upshift of a short microwave pulse is generated by the interaction between a relativistic underdense ionization front and a periodic electrostatic field with a perpendicular dc magnetic field. When the dc magnetic field is applied, further frequency upshift of 3 GHz is observed with respect to an unmagnetized case which has typically a GHz range. The radiation frequency depends on both the plasma density and the strength of the dc magnetic field, i.e., the plasma frequency and the cyclotron frequency. The frequency of the emitted radiation is in reasonable agreement with the theoretical values.     

Frequency upshifting and pulse compression via underdenserelativistic ionization fronts

Theoretical and experimental work on the interaction of radiation with a relativistically propagating, underdense ionization front in a waveguide was performed. In the experiment 35-GHz microwave pulses were upshifted and compressed upon encountering a moving front. The frequency spectrum of the upshifted radiation was determined independently using sections of cutoff waveguides and a microwave diffraction grating. These frequency upshifts were proportional to the plasma density of the ionization front as predicted by the theory. The front density was determined using microwave interferometry. The pulsewidths of the upshifted radiation were measured with fast diode detectors. These pulsewidth measurements were also in good agreement with the theory. Frequency upshifts and pulse compressions of up to a factor of five were recorded in this experiment     

低环径比托卡马克堆中的α粒子输运

基于当前等离子体物理，本文初步讨论了低环径比托卡马克堆中等离子体的特征。在自洽的低环径比堆芯参数下，计算了α粒子约束和损失，以及不同环径比对它们的影响。     

Experimental study of wave propagation through a rapidly createdplasma

Frequency upconversion and converting a CW source microwave into a frequency upshifted and chirped periodic pulse have been demonstrated by two experiments. In the first one, the CW source microwave propagates through a periodically microwave-discharged plasma. The CW source microwave is converted into a periodic pulse having upshifted carrier frequency. The second one uses a high-voltage (~100-kV) DC discharge to generate a dense plasma suddenly between two parallel plates. A frequency upshifted and chirped pulse (~2 ns) converting from the CW source microwave interacting with the suddenly created plasma is observed. The central frequency (~6.4 GHz) of the pulse is upshifted from the frequency (~4.7 GHz) of the source wave by about 40%. Moreover, frequency components which are upshifted as high as 80% are also observed     

Plasma relativistic microwave noise amplifier with the inverse configuration

The results of numerically simulating a high-power plasma maser—the wideband microwave noise amplifier—are reported. The configuration and parameters of the device are chosen with a view to its possible future use for generating pulses with a duration of 3 ns and pulse frequency bandwidth of 0.3 to 2GHz. In the pulse-periodic mode, it is possible to generate radiation in a continuous range of 2 to 12GHz with an average pulse power of 20MWand pulse energy efficiency of 6%.     

Microwave pulse shortening in plasma relativistic high-current microwave electronics

We describe mechanisms of microwave pulse shortening in radiation sources with the power of about 10⁸ W based on interaction between relativistic electron beams of nanosecond duration and preformed plasma. The shortening is mainly due to the electron return flow through the plasma, which leads to a multiple decrease in the linear gain of the microwave by the relativistic electron beam and in the reflection coefficient of the plasma wave that provides the generator feedback. The ways to eliminate the effect of microwave pulse shortening are proposed.     

X波段重复频率GW级超辐射相对论返波管

运用超辐射机理,通过粒子模拟设计了X波段超辐射相对论返波管,并在小型Tesla脉冲源平台上开展了实验研究。通过空间功率积分和直接对辐射微波时域波形的分析得到实验结果:在束压350 kV、束流4.8 kA、脉宽3.1 ns、引导磁场2.2 T条件下,产生的微波辐射功率1.4 GW,中心频率9.36 GHz,脉宽500~700 ps,辐射模式为TE11,能在重复频率100 Hz下稳定运行。功率转换效率超过80%。实验结果与粒子模拟结果比较吻合,成功实现了在短脉冲条件下产生重复频率、亚纳秒脉宽、GW级微波辐射。     

Shortening of the radiation pulse from a plasma relativistic microwave generator in numerical calculations with plasma simulation by the particle-in-cell method

Spontaneous shortening of radiation pulses of Cherenkov microwave generators based on the interaction of a high-current relativistic electron beam with preliminarily generated plasma was studied in a numerical model. Microwave pulse shortening is caused by the appearance of a gradually expanding region near the collector, from which plasma is expelled by an electrostatic field of relativistic electrons. The absence of plasma results in a severalfold decrease in the plasma wave reflectance from the collector and violation of generator self-excitation conditions. The microwave emission duration increases with the plasma ion mass.     

墙体对微波脉冲的衰减特性

 研究墙体对微波脉冲的衰减特性，测量了微波脉冲垂直入射墙体后的脉冲信号，经过计算得到普通砖混墙、普通钢筋混凝土墙、钢筋网混凝土墙对窄带微波和超宽带微波的衰减值；分析了微波脉冲穿越不同墙体的频谱变化。研究结果表明，普通钢筋混凝土墙和普通砖混墙对窄带微波脉冲的衰减为0.342～0.699 dB/cm，对超宽带信号的衰减为0.134～0.183 dB/cm。钢筋网混凝土墙（厚65 cm）对超宽带信号的衰减较大（29.07～45.79 dB），同时使穿透墙体的超宽带信号频率分布向高频位移。     

A terahertz gyrotron with pulsed magnetic field

We present the results of first experiments with a small-size gyrotron on the basis of a pulsed solenoid with a magnetic field of about 40 T. The generation of microwave radiation in the frequency range from 0.9 to 1.02 THz is obtained. The pulse duration is about 40 µs for a kilowatt power level. The microwave pulse repetition rate is limited by the solenoid cooling capability and is about 1 pulse per minute, which is an order of magnitude higher than that in known foreign analogs.     

Microwave radiation generated by a high-power air explosion

The special features of the generation of microwave radiation by a high-power air explosion accompanied by ionizing radiation are discussed. Coherent pulse caused by asymmetry of the ejection of gamma quanta from a source, incoherent bremsstrahlung of a partially ionized plasma, incoherent radiation of the shock wave front, and radiation in spectral lines lying inside air transparency windows are considered.     

High-power, single-beam plasma wave tube

Short-pulse, ultra-broadband sources of RF radiation are needed for a variety of new applications. To meet this demand, we have developed and optimized a single-beam Plasma Wave Tube (PWT), The PWT is a unique microwave/millimeter-wave source which utilizes the interaction between beamexcited electron plasma waves to generate kilowatt-power (~10 kW) radiation at microwave to millimeter-wave frequencies with a beam-to-radiation conversion efficiency of ⩾0.4%. In a single-beam PWT, an electron beam (⩽40 kV, ⩾200 A, 5-to-20-μs pulse width) is injected into a gas-filled (e,g., hydrogen) cylindrical waveguide. The beam first ionizes the gas to generate a plasma, and then nonlinearly interacts with the plasma to generate radiation from 6-to-60 GHz. Slew rates of up to 7 GHz/μs have been measured during a single beam pulse. The radiation has a wide instantaneous bandwidth, typically 10 GHz or wider. Electron-beam transport through the waveguide is accomplished with no externally applied magnetic fields because the beam space charge is cancelled by the background plasma     

Initiation of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis by a pulsed microwave discharge

It is shown that a metal plasma with a temperature of 10 kK arises on the surface of a metal-insulator powder subjected to a 0.3-to 1.0-ms-long microwave pulse. The pulse triggers an exothermal chemical reaction in the Ti-B or Al-Fe₂O₃ powder mixture, the delay between the end of the pulse and inflammation of the mixture reaching 10–20 ms. The microwave irradiation results in a high local energy deposition causing evaporation and rapid mixing of the reactants. This distinguishes the early stage of the reaction triggered by microwave radiation from the reaction in the case of conventional thermal initiation.     

宽带强电磁脉冲模拟器发展及设计研究

宽带强电磁脉冲是高功率微波技术近年来的主要发展方向之一,由于模拟器可用于强电磁辐射环境模拟,开展强电磁脉冲效应与防护研究,所以取得了快速发展。对宽带强电磁脉冲模拟器的研究现状进行了介绍,分析模拟器在工作频段和技术体制方面存在的共性,并结合研究需求,设计了一种宽带强电磁脉冲模拟器,该模拟器采用Marx发生器直接驱动高功率宽带天线的方式,实验结果显示该模拟器的远场辐射因子可达224 kV,辐射中心频率215 MHz,带宽可达32%,为宽带强电磁脉冲模拟技术的发展、科学研究提供了参考依据和试验条件。     

Experimental observation of superradiance in the stimulated scattering of an intense microwave pump wave by a counterpropagating subnanosecond high-current relativistic electron bunch

The generation of ultrashort superradiant pulses in the stimulated scattering of an intense microwave (38 GHz) pump wave by a counterpropagating high-current relativistic electron bunch has been observed. Scattered radiation is a single ～200-ps pulse with a peak power of about 1 MW. Owing to the Doppler shift of the radiation frequency, frequencies up to 150 GHz are present in the spectrum of the scattered pulse.     

Promising source of high-power broadband microwave pulses with radiation frequency variable up to two octaves

Using a numerical model, we propose a source of microwave pulses, based on the interaction of a high-current relativistic electron beam with plasma. The source is an intrinsic noise amplifier with a pulse duration shorter than 3 ns, which does not permit the emergence of feedback and self-excited generation. The wave gain factor depending on the plasma concentration makes it possible to control the radiation frequency in the range 4–17 GHz, within which a spectral width of ～2 GHz, a power of ～150 MW, and an energy efficiency up to 15% are preserved. The possibility of using the available small-size source of high-voltage pulses with a high repetition rate is considered.     

A Radially and Axially Extracted Virtual-Cathode Oscillator (Vircator)

Experiments are described in which a 5-? 1-MeV pulser drives virtual-cathode systems optimized to emit microwave radiation in the X band. Radiation is extracted both axially in TM modes and radially in TE modes. The threshold for microwave emission is found to be several times the space-charge limited current. The radiating frequency is approximately proportional to the electron beam plasma frequency with a proportional constant of (27?)1/2. Anode/cathode spacing is varied to demonstrate the frequency tunability of the virtual cathode as a microwave source. The radiation is broad band and frequency chirping is observed. Radiation patterns of the axially extracted radiation are described. The instantaneous efficiency of energy conversion from electrical to microwaves is ~2 percent. External excitation from an external source does not alter microwave generation.