High-power microwave source based on an unmagnetized backward-waveoscillator

A unique, high-power microwave source, called PASOTRON (Plasma-Assisted Slow-wave Oscillator), has been developed. The PASOTRON utilizes a long-pulse E-gun and plasma-filled slow-wave structure (SWS) to produce high-energy microwave pulses from a simple, lightweight device that utilizes no externally-produced magnetic fields. The novel E-gun employs a low-pressure glow discharge to provide a stable, high current-density electron source. A high-perveance, multi-aperture electron accelerator produces an E-beam that is operated in the ion-focused regime; where the beam-produced plasma filling the SWS space-charge neutralizes the beam, and the self-pinch force compresses the beamlets to provide propagation through the SWS. The PASOTRON E-gun has produced beams with voltages of up to 220 kV and currents in excess of 1 kA for pulse lengths of over 100 μsec. The PASOTRON HPM source normally operates in the TM₀₁ mode, and a unique mode converter has been developed to efficiently produce a TE₁₁ output mode with fixed polarization, The PASOTRON also has the ability to directly produce TE-mode radiation with a rotating output polarization, PASOTRON HPM sources have operated in L, S, C and X-bands, and have produced output powers in the 1 to 5 MW range in C-band at about 20% efficiency with pulse lengths of over 100 μsec     

Experimental study of a plasma-filled backward wave oscillator

Experimental studies of a plasma-filled X-band backward-wave oscillator (BWO) are presented. Depending on the background gas pressure, microwave frequency upshifts of up to 1 GHz appeared along with an enhancement by a factor of 7 in the total microwave power emission. The bandwidth of the microwave emission increased from ⩽0.5 GHz to 2 GHz when the BWO was working at the RF power enhancement pressure region. The RF power enhancement appeared over a much wider pressure range in a high beam current case (10-100 mT for 3 kA) than in a lower beam case (80-115 mT for 1.6 kA). The plasma-filled BWO has higher power output than the vacuum BWO over a broader region of magnetic guide field strength. Trivelpiece-Gould modes (T-G modes) are observed with frequencies up to the background plasma frequency in a plasma-filled BWO. Mode competition between the T-G modes and the X-band Tm₀₁ mode prevailed when the background plasma density was below 6×10¹¹ cm^-3 . At a critical background plasma density of ≃8×10¹¹ cm^-3 power enhancement appeared in both X-band and the T-G modes. Power enhancement of the S-band in this mode collaboration region reached up to 8 dB. Electric fields measured by the Stark-effect method were as high as 34 kV/cm while the BWO power level was 80 MW. These electric fields lasted throughout the high-power microwave pulse     

Efficiency enhancement in high power backward-wave oscillators

High power microwave (HPM) sources based on the backward-wave oscillator (BWO) have been investigated for the past two decades primarily because of their potential for very high efficiency (15 to 40%) operation. Several different effects have been proposed to explain this high efficiency compared to conventional BWOs. One of the major contributors to the high efficiency of the plasma-filled Pasotron HPM BWO source is the presence of optimally phased end reflections. The Pasotron uses a long-pulse (⩾100 μs) plasma-cathode electron-gun and plasma filled slow-wave structure to produce microwave pulses in the range of 1 to 10 MW without the use of externally produced magnetic fields. The efficiency of the Pasotron can be enhanced by up to a factor of two when the device is configured as a standing-wave oscillator in which properly phased reflections from the downstream collector end of the finite length SWS constructively interfere with the fundamental backward-wave modes and improve the coupling of the beam to the circuit. Operation in this configuration increases the efficiency up to 30% but causes the frequency to vary in discrete steps and the output power to change strongly with beam parameters and oscillation frequency     

High-power X-band amplification from an overmodedthree-cavity gyroklystron with a tunable penultimate cavity

Experimental results for a 10 GHz TE₀₁ mode three-cavity gyroklystron with a tunable penultimate cavity are presented. The electron beam was produced by a pulse line modulator and a magnetron injection gun which operates to 433 kV and 225 A with 1 μs flat-top. Three-cavity circuits have produced a peak power of 27 MW with efficiency of 32% and pulse energy of 39 J. A maximum gain of 50 dB was achieved at a peak power of 20 MW, and a maximum efficiency of 37% was achieved at a peak power of 16 MW     

Polarization control of microwave emission from high powerrectangular cross-section gyrotron devices

Results are summarized of experiments on a gyrotron utilizing a rectangular-cross-section (RCS) cavity region. The major issue under investigation is polarization control of microwave emission as a function of magnetic field. The electron beam driver is the Michigan Electron Long Beam Accelerator (MELBA) at parameters: V=0.8 MV, I_diode=1-10 kA, I_tube=0.1=0.5 kA, and t_e-beam=0.4-1.0 μs. The annular e-beam is spun up into an axis-encircling beam by passing it through a magnetic cusp prior to entering the RCS interaction cavity. Experimental results show a high degree of polarization in either of two orthogonal modes as a function of cavity fields. The RCS gyrotron produced peak powers of 14 MW in one polarization (TE₁₀) and 6 MW in the cross-polarized mode (TE ₀₁). Electronic efficiencies for this device reached as high as 8% with transverse efficiency of 16%. Experimental results on the beam alpha (α=V_⊥/V_∥) diagnostics, where alpha is the ratio of the e-beam's transverse velocity to its parallel velocity, agree well with the single electron trajectory code. MAGIC code results are in qualitative agreement with microwave measurements. Microwave emission shifts from the dominant fundamental mode polarization (TE₁₀□ ), to the next higher order mode polarization (TE₀₁□) as the solenoid magnetic field is raised from 1.4-1.9 kGauss. Frequency measurements using heterodyne mixers support mode identification as well as MAGIC code simulations     

Study of superradiance based on a low-voltagebackward wave oscillator

According to the small size requirement for wide-band high-power microwave radiation, a superradiance backward wave oscillator (BWO) is proposed to generate such high-power microwave radiation with a low voltage (～20 kV) pulse power supply and low guiding magnet field (～0.1 T). In order to get a high-efficiency C-band superradiance BWO with a low beam voltage and a low guiding magnet field, the mechanism of superradiance in a BWO is explored in particle-in-cell simulation. With the oversized structure, the simulation shows that a microwave power of 405 kW with a frequency of 5.6 GHz and a spectrum width of 500 MHz can be obtained with a voltage of 23 kV and magnetic field of 0.1 T.     

折叠型平板Blumlein线高功率微波驱动源

 介绍了一种使用折叠型平板Blumlein线为主体的紧凑型高功率微波驱动源,Kapton薄膜和纯净变压器油分别作为折叠型平板Blumlein线的传输线介质和绝缘介质,Blumlein线的整体尺寸为1.00 m×0.40 m×0.15 m。采用一个特征阻抗大约是12 W的C波段磁绝缘振荡器作为高功率微波源。折叠型平板Blumlein线传输的能量可以使磁绝缘振荡器的阴极发射出电压550 kV,电流40 kA ,脉宽90 ns的电子束,从而产生峰值功率350 MW,脉宽40 ns的高功率微波。     

Pulsewidth limitation in the relativistic backward wave oscillator

Spontaneous pulse shortening occurring in a relativistic backward wave oscillator (BWO) at gigawatt power levels is studied in experiment and theory. It is experimentally demonstrated that this phenomenon is accompanied by formation of an explosive-emission plasma at the surface of the corrugated slow-wave structure (SWS). Termination of microwave emission is explained by the increase of the BWO starting current from the absorption of the operating electromagnetic wave by electrons emitted from the plasma, whereas the intensity of the absorption radically increases offing to the presence of positive ions emitted from the plasma. Application of oil-free vacuum and electrochemical polishing of the SWS surface in an X-band BWO allowed generation of 3-GW, 26-ns microwave pulses with an energy of ~80 J, thereby demonstrating pulse lengthening by a factor of four     

Performance characteristics of a high-power X-bandtwo-cavity gyroklystron

The operating characteristics of a two-cavity X-band gyroklystron experiment are reported. Beam voltages and currents up to 440 kV and 200 A, respectively, are generated in 1 μs pulses by a thermionic magnetron injection gun. Velocity ratios (ν_⊥ /ν_z) near one in the output cavity are used to achieve peak powers of 24 MW near 9.87 GHz. The maximum saturated efficiency of more than 33% occurs at a beam voltage of 425 kV and a current of 150 A. A large signal gain in excess of 34 dB is realized by operating the input cavity just below the start oscillation threshold. Details of tube stability and the dependence of amplification on magnetic field profile, input signal parameters, and various beam quantities are presented     

过模返波管的正反馈机制

作为一个典型的高功率微波振荡器,过模返波管(backward wave oscillator,BWO)的束波互作用过程复杂,束流负载效应影响明显,但是作为振荡器本身,其本质就是一个正反馈电路,电子从阴极发射后,穿过谐振反射腔和慢波结构(slow-wave structure,SWS),在SWS区电子动能转化为微波能,其中的一部分微波反馈到谐振反射腔,实现对电子束的调制,其他微波通过后面输出端口向外辐射.本文根据这种正反馈机制,建立器件工作模式等效电路和束波互作用的自洽过程,从理论上给出正反馈机制对器件模式控制、起振电流等参数的影响,并模拟研究了这种反馈机制对模式控制的影响,由此设计了一个能够在(1 MV,20 kA)电子束条件下克服模式竞争的过模BWO,其微波输出功率为7.9 GW,频率为8.68 GHz,相应的效率为39.5%.     

L波段双频磁绝缘线振荡器的实验研究

根据角向分区产生双频率高功率微波（HPM）的设计思路,开展了基于谐振腔深度角向分区模型的L波段双频磁绝缘线振荡器（BFMILO）的实验研究,建立了BFMILO的实验系统和测量系统,热测了BFMILO的辐射方向图,通过辐射场功率密度积分得到了输出微波的功率.在电子束电压约为420kV,管电流约为34kA的条件下,L波段BFMILO输出的微波频率分别为1.26GHz和1.45GHz,对应的微波功率分别为398MW和222MW.并初步得到了谐振腔深度的角向分区比例不同的BFMILO的初步实验结果.实验研究得到了 关键词： 角向分区 磁绝缘线振荡器（MILO） 双频MILO（BFMILO） 高功率微波（HPM）     

0.34 THz大功率过模表面波振荡器研究

论文对0.34 THz大功率过模表面波振荡器进行了模拟设计和初步实验研究. 针对高过模比(D/λ ≈ 6.8)慢波结构, 根据小信号理论选择了合适的慢波结构尺寸和电子束距壁距离, 实现了器件在表面波TM₀₁模的π点附近谐振. 根据PIC模拟结果, 表面波振荡器可以实现频率和功率分别为0.34 THz和22.8 MW的太赫兹波输出. 采用微细电火花加工技术完成了不锈钢慢波结构的一体化精细加工, 并基于小型化脉冲功率驱动源搭建了实验装置. 初步的实验结果表明, 在电子束电压和电流分别约为420 kV和3.1 kA时, 0.34 THz大功率过模表面波振荡器输出脉冲的频率范围为0.319–0.349 THz, 辐射功率不小于250 kW, 脉宽约为2 ns. 最后分析讨论了实验输出功率与模拟结果相差较大的原因, 为表面波振荡器的性能改善奠定了基础.     

紧凑型L波段同轴相对论返波振荡器的粒子模拟

 设计了紧凑型L波段同轴相对论返波振荡器，通过粒子模拟研究了L波段同轴相对论返波振荡器相互作用的物理过程，并对器件的电磁结构进行了优化和改进。分析表明，采用同轴慢波结构可以在较低的外加磁场下实现L波段返波振荡器的微波输出，同时可以大大减小微波器件的径向尺寸。这是因为同轴慢波结构的TM01模式有类似于TEM模的性质，没有截止频率，但纵向电场不为零，电子束能够与它发生强相互作用过程。粒子模拟优化结果表明，在器件半径仅为4.0 cm，电子束能量240 keV，电子束流1.8 kA，导引磁场仅为0.75 T时，返波振荡器可以在频率1.60 GHz处获得较大功率的微波输出， 平均峰值功率达140 MW，平均峰值功率效率约为32%。     

L波段高功率多注速调管设计与模拟

 开展了峰值功率10 MW、平均功率150kW的L波段多注速调管的研究工作。采用均匀场多透镜聚焦系统对多电子注进行聚焦,获得了具有良好层流性和波动性的旁轴多注电子光学系统;采用二次谐波腔,对6个电子注、6个同轴谐振腔结构的速调管进行了注波互作用计算。结果表明,当电子注电压为115 kV,电流为132 A时,可获得大于10 MW的脉冲输出功率,大于65%的输出效率和大于45 dB的增益。     

Design of a high-efficiency C-band backward wave oscillator

For practicability of the high power microwave source,a C-band backward wave oscillator(BWO)which has high conversion efficiency is designed.When the axial guiding magnetic field is 0.83 T,the electron energy and the beam current of the diode are respectively 80 keV and 2.1 kA,a microwave output power of100 MW at 7.4 GHz microwave frequency with 65% conversion efficiency is achieved in simulation.     

Plasma density measurement in a gas-filled X-band backward wave oscillator with a double conversion heterodyne microwave interferometer

Plasma density was measured with a heterodyne microwave interferometer in both a gas-filled X-band backward wave oscillator (BWO) and in a smooth tube. Plasma is generated by impact ionization of a 650 kV, 2 kA electron beam. For fixed gas pressure we found that the plasma density rise in the operating BWO was much faster than in a smooth tube, indicating that Trivelpiece-Gould modes, or high power microwaves, increase plasma generation. Additional plasma enhanced BWO microwave output power. Measured plasma density at optimum power levels was n_cr ≈ 6 × 10¹²cm⁻³ at onset of emitted microwaves.     

C波段磁绝缘线振荡器的理论设计与实验

 通过理论分析与计算，设计加工了一个C波段磁绝缘线振荡器（MILO），并进行了实验研究。在二极管电压为437～464 kV、二极管电流为36～39 kA的条件下，从实验上获得了功率为1.60～1.68 GW、频率为3.60～3.66 GHz、脉宽为33～38 ns的TEM模高功率微波辐射，功率转换效率大于9%。     

高功率窄脉冲毫米波返波管粒子模拟与实验研究

采用数值模拟方法优化设计出BWO(Backward Wave Oscillator)慢波结构, 并在RADAN303加速器平台上进行了实验研究, 在电子束电压177kV、电流785A、磁场强度1.7T的条件下, 产生毫米波辐射功率18MW、频率39.8GHz、脉冲宽度3ns、模式为TE₁₁的毫米波输出.     

Efficiency enhancement of high power vacuum BWO's using nonuniformslow wave structures

The Sinus-6, a high-power relativistic repetitively-pulsed electron beam accelerator, is used to drive various slow wave structures in a BWO configuration in vacuum. Peak output power of about 550 MW at 9.45 GHz was radiated in an 8-ns pulse. We describe experiments which study the relative efficiencies of microwave generation from a two-stage nonuniform amplitude slow wave structure and its variations without an initial stage. Experimental results are compared with 2.5 D particle-in-cell computer simulations. Our results suggest that prebunching the electron beam in the initial section of the nonuniform BWO results in increased microwave generation efficiency, Furthermore, simulations reveal that, in addition to the backward propagating surface harmonic of the TM₀₁ mode, backward and forward propagating volume harmonics with phase velocity twice that of the surface harmonic play an important role in high-power microwave generation and radiation