Multipactor theory for multicarrier signals

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3561821· OSTI ID:21537265

Anza, S; Vicente, C; Gil, J ^[1]; Mattes, M ^[2]; Raboso, D ^[3]; Boria, V E ^[4]; Gimeno, B ^[5]

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1. Aurora Software and Testing S.L., Edificio de Desarrollo Empresarial 9B, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain)
2. Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Acoustics (LEMA), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), P.O. Box Station 11, Office ELB 017, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)
3. Payloads Systems Division, European Space Agency, 2200-AG Noordwijk (Netherlands)
4. Departamento de Comunicaciones-iTEAM, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain)
5. Departamento de Fisica Aplicada y Electromagnetismo-ICMUV, Universitat de Valencia, c/Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Valencia (Spain)

This work presents a new theory of multipactor under multicarrier signals for parallel-plate geometries, assuming a homogeneous electric field and one-dimensional electron motion. It is the generalization of the nonstationary multipactor theory for single-carrier signals [S. Anza et al.,Phys. Plasmas 17, 062110 (2010)]. It is valid for multicarrier signals with an arbitrary number of carriers with different amplitude, arbitrary frequency, and phase conditions and for any material coating. This new theory is able to model the real dynamics of the electrons during the multipactor discharge for both single and double surface interactions. Among other parameters of the discharge, it calculates the evolution in time of the charge growth, electron absorption, and creation rates as well as the instantaneous secondary emission yield and order. An extensive set of numerical tests with particle-in-cell software has been carried out in order to validate the theory under many different conditions. This theoretical development constitutes the first multipactor theory which completely characterizes the multipactor discharge for arbitrary multicarrier signals, setting the first step for further investigations in the field.

• OSTI ID: 21537265
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3561821; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ABSORPTION
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
ELECTRON EMISSION
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
SECONDARY EMISSION
WALL EFFECTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
EMISSION
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SIMULATION
SORPTION