A mode coupling theory for the electromagnetic accordion
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
A new scheme, referred to as an electromagnetic accordion, which directly converts a static electric field into coherent microwave radiation by a laser-produced ionization front in a gas-filled capacitor array is investigated theoretically. The output radiation has a frequency of {omega}{sub p}{sup 2}/2k{sub 0}c, where k{sub 0} is the wave number of the static field, and an amplitude approximately equal to the static field intensity. This scheme has the potential of producing high-power, ultra-short microwave pulses in a broad frequency range. A proof-of-principle experiment by USC/UCLA recently verified the frequency scaling law of this scheme. However, the theoretical model developed in previous work is based on a simplified planar approximation. This approximation is only valid near the axis of the front`s propagation when large upshift occurs. The existing model can only predict a single-frequency output radiation and therefore loses the information of frequency and mode structure of the output radiation. Therefore, the authors are developing a mode coupling theory to model this scheme. They consider waveguide effects and include all the models that can be excited behind the ionization front. They calculate the frequency as well as the transmission coefficient of each mode, and from this the output frequency spectrum is obtained.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-92ER40745
- OSTI ID:
- 449496
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960634--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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