Experimental investigation of a 140-GHz coaxial gyrotron oscillator

We report experimental results on a megawatt power level, 140-GHz coaxial gyrotron oscillator. The gyrotron has an inverted magnetron injection gun (IMIG) designed for operation at up to 95 kV and 88 A. The IMIG has an inner grounded anode which extends from the center of the gun down through the entire length of the tube including the cavity and collector. The IMIG was tested at up to 105 kV and 93 A in 3 μs pulses, achieving an electron beam power of 10 MW. The output power from the coaxial gyrotron cavity was transported to an internal mode converter and a single mirror that coupled the power out transversely from the tube axis. A maximum output power of up to 1 MW was obtained in the TE_27,11 mode at 142 GHz at an efficiency of 16%, about one half of the design efficiency. The reduced efficiency was attributed to nonuniformity of the cathode emission and the sensitivity to the relative alignment of the electron gun, coaxial insert, and cavity. The cathode emission over the azimuthal angle was measured for two cathodes and was shown to be nonuniform due to both temperature and emitter work function nonuniformity. The gyrotron was also tested in two alternate configurations: 1) with the internal mode converter removed (axial output), and 2) with both the internal converter and the coaxial insert removed (empty cavity). In operation in the empty cavity configuration, which is equivalent to a conventional gyrotron oscillator, output power of up to 0.9 MW was observed     

Measurement of the electric field pattern of a Fabry-Perot resonator used in quasi-optical gyrotrons

The field pattern of the resonator used in a quasi-optical gyrotron operating in the millimetre wave range is measured. Two resonators are studied: one composed of a spherical mirror and an ellipsoidal grating and the other symmetric using two mirrors with annular slots. The measurements indicate that the electric field distribution is gaussian, in spite of the complex geometry of the resonator, and thus provide an experimental basis for the assumption often used to compute the efficiency of quasi-optical gyrotrons.     

Design of a 3-MW 140-GHz gyrotron with a coaxial cavity

A design for a 3-MW 140-GHz gyrotron based on the use of a coaxial cavity is given. The cavity mode is TE_21,13, chosen so that the ohmic heating on both the inner and outer conductors would be low enough for CW operation. The mode selection process, nonlinear, multimode and time-dependent modeling of the beam wave interaction, and gun design are discussed in detail. An inverted magnetron injection gun (MIG) is used to accommodate the inner conductor. The radiation is coupled out via a quasi-optical mode converter, consisting of an irregular cylindrical waveguide section followed by a step-cut launching aperture and a single near-parabolic mirror. The design of these components is also described     

Modelled thermal response of structures in fire environments

A computation technique based on the finite element method is presented for the non-linear thermal response of structures submitted to fire environments. The incremental equations which result from the associated non-linear heat transfer problem are solved by a non-iterative solution technique based on the concept of ‘tangential’ conductivity. Computational efficiency is illustrated by comparison with experimental results recorded during fire tests of concrete structural elements.     

Steady-state fully noninductive current driven by electron cyclotron waves in a magnetically confined plasma

A steady-state, fully noninductive plasma current has been sustained for the first time in a tokamak using electron cyclotron current drive only. In this discharge, 123 kA of current have been sustained for the entire gyrotron pulse duration of 2 s. Careful distribution across the plasma minor radius of the power deposited from three 0. 5-MW gyrotrons was essential for reaching steady-state conditions. With central current drive, up to 153 kA of current have been fully replaced transiently for 100 ms. The noninductive scenario is confirmed by the ability to recharge the Ohmic transformer. The dependence of the current drive efficiency on the minor radius is also demonstrated.