Techniques for high power microwave sources at high average power

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.234566· OSTI ID:5708731

Benford, J N; Cooksey, N J; Levine, J S; Smith, R R ^[1]

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1. Physics International Co., San Leandro, CA (United States)

Generation of microwaves at high power has progressed largely on single shot devices. Applications, however, require high average power, implying operation at substantial repetition rates. This is in a new domain for microwave devices. The technical challenge is to achieve very high electric fields in the source on a repetitive basis without breakdown. The authors describe experiments on CLIA, a Compact Linear Induction Accelerator, capable of generating 750 kV and 10 kA into a matched load using magnetic switching to produce 60 ns long pulses. As a first application they used CLIA to drive a water-cooled L-band magnetron at repetition rates as high as 250 Hz with no breakdown or pulse shortening. This gave 6.3 kW average power. A short burst at 1 kHz demonstrated operation that would translate to an average power of [approx]25 kW. In this regime operation is not limited by gas build-up, electrode erosion or microwhisker depletion. They are now operating on CLIA with a high current relativistic klystron. Beams with modulated current powers of [approx]d1 GW have been generated at 100 Hz for bursts as long as 5000 pulses. There are no apparent obstacles to much higher average powers at higher peak powers.

• OSTI ID: 5708731
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Vol. 21:4; ISSN ITPSBD; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426000* -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
ACCELERATORS
BEAMS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
KLYSTRONS
LEPTON BEAMS
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
MAGNETRONS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
OPERATION
PARTICLE BEAMS