A DC to AC radiation converter based on plasma ionization
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
The authors describe programs on a new class of high power radiation source. Rather than create electromagnetic fields, the present scheme frequency upshifts an existing static field ({omega} = 0, k = k{sub o}) by temporally varying the dielectric properties of a medium (i.e., ionizing a gas). An array of alternating capacitors is charged to a large voltage to produce a static electric field. When the region between the capacitors is filled with a low density working gas and ionized by a short-pulse laser, a phased discharge current generates a radiation pulse following behind the ionizing laser. The output frequency, pulse duration, bandwidth, arbitrary chirp, etc. can be controlled by varying the gas pressure and/or capacitor spacing. Output power is determined by the bias voltage, and high powers are in principal possible by using pulsed biases. At USC/UCLA proof-of-principle experiments are underway to test the predicted characteristics of this alternative source of high-power microwaves. Preliminary results are presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 170213
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950612--; ISBN 0-7803-2669-5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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