Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Influence of energy and axial momentum spreads on the cyclotron maser instability in intense hollow electron beams

Journal Article · · Phys. Fluids; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.862785· OSTI ID:6044514

The influence of energy and axial momentum spreads on the cyclotron maser instability in an intense hollow electron beam propagating parallel to a uniform axial magnetic field B/sub 0/e/sub z/ is investigated. The stability analysis is carried out within the framework of the linearized Vlasov--Maxwell equations. It is assumed that ..nu../gamma-circumflexvery-much-less-than1, where ..nu.. is Budker's parameter and gamma-circumflexmc/sup 2/ is the characteristic electron energy. Stability properties are investigated for the choice of electron distribution function in which all electrons have a step-function distribution in energy (H=..gamma..mc/sup 2/) and a step-function distribution in axial momentum (p/sub z/). The instability growth rate is calculated including the important stabilizing influence of energy spread (epsilon=..delta gamma..) and axial momentum spread (..delta..=..delta..p/sub z/). It is shown that a modest energy spread (epsilonapprox. = a few percent) is sufficient to stabilize perturbations with high magnetic harmonic number (s> or =2). Moreover, a relatively small axial momentum spread (..delta../mcapprox. =0.1) can easily stabilize perturbations with axial wavenumber satisfying vertical-barkc/..omega../sub c/vertical-bar> or approx. =0.2, for typical beam parameters of experimental interest.

Research Organization:
Naval Surface Weapons Center, White Oak, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
OSTI ID:
6044514
Journal Information:
Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 22:9; ISSN PFLDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English