Slow cyclotron instability in a high-power backward-wave oscillator

The linear dispersion relation of a backward-wave oscillator (BWO), derived earlier by the authors, is modified to include effects of RF surface current at the beam-vacuum interface. This modified dispersion relation results in an unstable interaction between the slow cyclotron mode (SCM) and the structure mode in addition to the conventional Cherenkov instability caused by the slow space charge mode. Numerical analysis is then carried out using parameters of a BWO experiment at University of Maryland. Fine structure of the SCM instability is elucidated. The analysis indicates that BWO radiation would not be suppressed near cyclotron absorption in an infinitely long system.     

Present status of a 17.1-GHz four-cavity frequency-doubling coaxialgyroklystron design

A design of a Ku-band 17.1-GHz four-cavity coaxial gyroklystron amplifier for driving future linear colliders is presented. The X-band input cavity operates in the TE_0.11 mode, whereas the remaining three cavities (buncher, penultimate, and output) operate in the TE₀₂₁ mode, doubling the frequency of the input signal. The electron beam parameters are the following: current of 540 A, voltage of 460 kV, perpendicular-to-parallel velocity ratio of 1.5, and a parallel velocity spread of 6.4%. The output cavity has been simulated as (1) zero-drive unstable with Q-factor of 320 and (2) zero-drive stable with Q-factor of 250. The simulations show that the maximum efficiency in the first case is 37.4%, and in the second one is 34.4%. In both cases, a high gain of 60 dB at a 100-MW output power level can be realized     

Free electron laser pumped by a powerful traveling electromagneticwave

A three-wave free-electron laser (FEL) was operated with a powerful 8.4-GHz electromagnetic pump wave replacing the usual magnetostatic wiggler. The presence of a uniform axial magnetic field B₀ produced cyclotron-harmonic idler waves. Peaks in the emission spectrum corresponding to cyclotron harmonics were observed covering a frequency range from 16.5 to 130 GHz. The frequency spectrum of this novel FEL mechanism was tuned continuously by the variation of B₀     

Theory of gyrotwystrons with mixed transverse geometries of thevarious stages

Gyrotwystrons are gyrotron amplifiers with resonant cavities, field free drift regions, and a nonresonant output waveguide. They are expected to be more wideband than gyroklystrons, and more efficient than gyro-travelling wave tubes. A theory of gyrotwystrons has been developed which describes gyrotwystrons with cavities of different transverse geometry than the output waveguide. An analytical approach permits one to estimate in a simple manner the effect of mixed transverse geometry on the interaction between the electron beam and the microwave field. Numerical studies of an NRL gyrotwystron design show it possible to realize a rather high efficiency over a large bandwidth (e,g., 35% efficiency with a bandwidth of 6%)     

Starting energy and current for a large diameter finite lengthbackward wave oscillator operated at the fundamental mode

We study the starting conditions for a large diameter (diameter/wavelength=4.8) finite length backward wave oscillator designed for 24-GHz operation at the fundamental TM₀₁ mode. This geometry is very promising for high power handling capability. We analyze two separate threshold conditions. First, finite length effects give rise to a threshold in electron beam energy below which oscillations cannot be sustained at any beam current. The second is the more familiar current threshold known as a start current. It is also found that the growth rate for the fundamental mode can be much larger than those of other higher order modes thus leading to coherent operation of large diameter sources free from mode competition     

A quarter century of gyrotron research and development

The development of small-orbit gyrotrons operating at voltages ⩽100 kV is reviewed. Gyrotron oscillators have been developed to produce unprecedented 200-kW average power levels at frequencies spanning the range of 28-140 GHz with current work aimed at achieving 1-MW average power. They are widely used in plasma-heating studies and are the natural choice for material processing in the millimeter-wave region. Gyrotron amplifiers have exceeded the peak power limits of more conventional amplifiers at both 35 and 94 GHz, and have been used in a few radars. Gyro-amplifiers under development have been designed to surpass both the peak power and the average power limits of conventional amplifiers, and are anticipated to be widely accepted in millimeter-wave radar systems. Gyrotron amplifiers operating at voltages ~0.5 MV that are being evaluated for accelerator applications were reviewed in this journal in 1996 and are not included in this review paper,     

Gyrotron travelling wave amplifier: I. Analysis of oscillations

The operation of the gyrotron travelling wave amplifier is based on the convective cyclotron maser instability. It is found that this convective instability may become absolute (nonconvective) at a sufficiently high current level, resulting in oscillation instead of amplification. This threshold current for the transition depends sensitively on the applied magnetic field. The axial wavelength and the characteristic frequency of oscillation at the onset of absolute instability are given. It is found that momentum spread has virtually no effect on the threshold current. A small amount of resistive wall loss, however, raises the threshold current significantly. Oscillations due to partial reflection at the ends of the system are also examined. Preliminary experimental results on both types of oscillations are reported and are found to be in good agreement with the theory.