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The generation of annular relativistic electron beams (AREBs) with a good uniformity and longitudinal consistency needs intensive investigations, especially when no guiding magnetic field is supplied. Without a guiding magnetic field, ring-shaped cathodes with a width of several millimeters were utilized to generate AREB instead of knife-edged cathodes because of the space-charge force. Results of the fast framing optical photograph experiments and high power microwave (HPM) experiments show that the quarter-circular shielding electrode can improve the uniformity of the AREB obviously, and the carbon fiber cathode is validated to be an appropriate choice, which showed better emission characteristics and better performance in generating HPM than the graphite cathode and the polymer velvet cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes have attracted much attention in recent years due to the advantages of large field enhancement factor and low emission threshold. However, the severe ablation under intense emission makes the lifetime short and therefore limits the application in the field such as high power microwave generation. To resolve this problem, this paper proposes to mix CNTs with metals, and a novel CNT/Cu composite cathode is manufactured. The lifetime experiments under voltage of 940 kV and repetition frequency of 20 Hz demonstrate that the lifetime of the CNT/Cu composite cathode is over 3 × 105 pulses, which is much longer than that of the normal copper cathode by at least one order of magnitude. The microscopic morphology analysis reveals that the CNT micro-protrusions and whiskers should be vital for the good emission property of the new cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a technique for generating multiple electron beams with different energies and comparable currents from a single cathode stalk at a single potential using nested magnetically insulated coaxial diodes (MICDs). The application is for a multi-stream traveling wave tube. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed for an experimental parameter-based geometry where two thin-walled intense relativistic electron beams immersed in a strong uniform magnetic field propagate through a cylindrical vacuum channel. The analytically derived results are obtained by extending Fedosov's solution for generating a hollow electron beam from an MICD on a cathode stalk in an infinite magnetic field. Two electron beams are generated and accelerated downstream assuming zero initial kinetic energy of the electrons from the cathodes. Results show both electron beam currents ranging from 66 to 2.8 kA with an energy difference ranging from 6% to 27% depending on voltages applied from 100 to 600 kV and the geometry of the two MICDs. An optimal geometry is a crucial factor in achieving the maximum energy difference between the electron beams for comparable currents. The analytical and numerical simulation results show good agreement. We are currently in the process of planning experiments using the electron beam accelerator (SINUS-6 at UNM) to validate the analytical and simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetically insulated vacuum diode was modified to reduce the fraction of low-energy electrons in the leading edge of a high-current beam. The voltage pulse of duration ≈1 ns, rise time ≈250 ps, and amplitude ≈ –230 kV that arrives at the diode cathode from a transmission line is split in coupled coaxial lines (CLs) into two pulses with an amplitude ratio U2/U1 >1. The end of the common electrode of the CLs is close in profile to an equipotential surface and forms two gaps in the diode. In the first injection gap, at U0 < U1, explosive electron emission starts at the cathode. The pulse U1 arrives here with a delay at least equal to the duration of the leading edge, since there is a dielectric insert in the inner CL. The beam enters, through the window in the intermediate electrode, the acceleration gap, where the leading pulse U2, delivered from the outer CL, has already peaked. In the proposed device, unlike the one-gap prototype diode, electrons start from the cathode at a much smaller spread of the leading edge voltage. As a result, after acceleration of these electrons in the second gap, their energy spread relative to the maximum energy decreases multiply. This is confirmed by calculations and measurements of the beam current for a beam passed through aluminum filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We found that the start time in microwave generation of a relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) for a slowly rising voltage pulse demonstrates a large jitter, which can be explained by the spread of explosive electron emission thresholds and plasma formation rates of the explosive emission cathode, and this large jitter is reduced greatly by a weak external RF signal. So, the effects of the emission threshold and plasma formation rate on the oscillation start time of a single RBWO and on the phase synchronization in two parallel RBWOs are investigated using particle-in-cell simulations. The 2D simulations show that a larger emission threshold and a faster plasma formation rate lead to a shorter start time due to the stronger shock excitation provided by the sharper beam current leading edge. For some special emission thresholds, the start time is abnormally long, which is due to the generation of other frequencies because of the shock excitation. The 3D simulations illustrate that with a larger emission threshold and a faster plasma formation rate, phase synchronization can be obtained in two parallel RBWOs even for a large voltage rise time. Therefore, we expect that by choosing the appropriate cathode emission threshold and plasma formation rate, it is possible to realize phase stabilization of an RBWO for a slowly rising voltage pulse even without an external RF signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosive emission cathodes are extensively used in high power microwave sources. Growing requirements are highlighted in the performance of the explosive emission cathode with the development of the high power microwave technology. In order to improve the emission properties of the graphite cathode, modifications using SiC particles or whiskers are carried out by the in situ chemical vapor reaction method. The experiments demonstrate that SiC whiskers accelerate the explosive emission turn-on speed of the graphite cathode for large field enhancement factors and improve the emission uniformity due to the surface flashover plasma generation mechanism. SiC particles increase the emission capability of the graphite cathode, possibly corresponding to the dielectric properties of SiC particles. These results suggest that the SiC whiskers modified graphite cathode is suitable for applications under low magnetic field and large emission area conditions, while the SiC particles modified graphite cathode has a brighter application prospect in the long-time stable operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosive emission cathodes (EECs) are widely used in the field requiring intense electron beams. The uniform emission of EECs is vital for applications. To effectively evaluate the emission uniformity of annular EECs, this paper proposes a quantitative evaluation model based on the analysis of cathode plasma images and constructs a parameter which is named as the non-uniformity value to describe the extent of emission uniformity. The experiment designed to investigate the cathode emission uniformity under different circumstances demonstrates that the model is valid. The experimental results give quantitative information of uniformity change in explosive emission and show that the non-uniformity values of graphite and aluminum cathodes can be significantly decreased by increasing the guiding magnetic field and the diode voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the outgassing-rates of a carbon fiber array cathode and a polymer velvet cathode are tested and discussed. Two different methods of measurements are used in the experiments. In one scheme, a method based on dynamic equilibrium of pressure is used. Namely, the cathode works in the repetitive mode in a vacuum diode, a dynamic equilibrium pressure would be reached when the outgassing capacity in the chamber equals the pumping capacity of the pump, and the outgassing rate could be figured out according to this equilibrium pressure. In another scheme, a method based on static equilibrium of pressure is used. Namely, the cathode works in a closed vacuum chamber (a hard tube), and the outgassing rate could be calculated from the pressure difference between the pressure in the chamber before and after the work of the cathode. The outgassing rate is analyzed from the real time pressure evolution data which are measured using a magnetron gauge in both schemes. The outgassing rates of the carbon fiber array cathode and the velvet cathode are 7.3?±?0.4 neutrals/electron and 85?±?5 neutrals/electron in the first scheme and 9?±?0.5 neutrals/electron and 98?±?7 neutrals/electron in the second scheme. Both the results of two schemes show that the outgassing rate of the carbon fiber array cathode is an order smaller than that of the velvet cathode under similar conditions, which shows that this carbon fiber array cathode is a promising replacement of the velvet cathode in the application of magnetically insulated transmission line oscillators and relativistic magnetrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a carbon fiber array cathode was constructed and the application in a hard-tube magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) was investigated. The performance was compared with a traditionally used polymer velvet cathode in the same conditions, where applied electric power ranged from 9GW to 28GW and microwave with power level of several GW was the output. The MILO worked on single shot mode or repetitive mode at 5 Hz. For both cathodes, the central frequencies of output microwaves are in the L-band, and the pulse durations (full width at half maximum) range from 25 to 50 ns. Experimental results show that the pulse duration of output microwave of the carbon fiber array cathode is shorter than the velvet cathode, and the power conversion efficiency is also somewhat lower than the velvet cathode. Although the performance testing results show that this carbon fiber array cathode is somewhat not as good as the traditional velvet cathode in the present state, the reasons for the disadvantages of the carbon fiber array cathode have been analyzed and the corresponding solutions are presented to improve the performance of this cathode. If expected solutions are put into effect, this carbon fiber array cathode may be able to replace the velvet cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effect of microwave leakage into the diode region on the suppression of backward current in a relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) operating at low magnetic field is investigated by the theoretical analysis, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, and experiments. The theoretical results show that some backward electrons are absorbed by the cathode holder due to microwave leakage, and as the microwave power increases, the microwave frequency increases, and the guiding magnetic field decreases, it will promote the absorption of electrons. The PIC simulations based on the first principle reveal that the leakage microwave partially suppresses the backward current and the suppression is enhanced when the incidence TM02 is dominant. In the ${X}$ -band dual-mode RBWO packaged with permanent magnet experiments, a microwave pulse with the power of 3.9 GW, the frequency of 9.93 GHz, and the efficiency of 33% was measured when the diode voltage was 820 kV and diode current was 14.5 kA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preliminary experimental results of a carbon fiber array cathode for the magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) operations are reported. When the diode voltage and diode current were 480 kV and 44 kA, respectively, high-power microwaves with a peak power of about 3GWand a pulse duration of about 60 ns were obtained in a MILO device with the carbon fiber array cathode. The preliminary experimental results show that the shot-to-shot reproducibility of the diode current and the microwave power is stable until 700 shots. No obvious damage or deterioration can be observed in the carbon fiber surface morphology after 700 shots. Moreover, the cathode performance has no observable deterioration after 700 shots. In conclusion, the maintain-free lifetime of the carbon fiber array cathode is more than 700 shots. In this way, this carbon fiber array cathode offers a potential replacement for the existing velvet cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphite cathodes are widely used due to their good emission properties, especially their long lifetime. Some previous papers have researched their lifetime under certain conditions and uncovered some important phenomena. This paper is dedicated to research the lifetime of the graphite cathode under higher power. In the lifetime test, the voltage and current amplitudes are about 970 kV and 9.7 kA, respectively. The repetition rate is 20 Hz. An X-band relativistic backward wave oscillator is used to generate high power microwave by utilizing the electron beam energy. The experimental results demonstrate that the emission property of the graphite cathode remains quite stable during 105 pulses, despite some slight deteriorations regarding the beam and microwave parameters. The macroscopic morphology change of the cathode blade due to material evaporation is observed by a laser microscope. The mass loss of the graphite cathode is about 60 μg/C. Meanwhile, the observation by a scanning electron microscope uncovers that the original numerous flaky micro-structures are totally replaced by a relatively smooth surface at the mid region of the cathode blade and a large number of new micro-protrusions at the blade edges during the lifetime test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of a super klystron-like relativistic backward wave oscillator is presented in this article. To obtain high power and high efficiency, an additional anode cavity is used to promote electron-beam modulation. Additionally, two waveguide cavities at the end of the electron collector are employed to enhance the constructive resonance, which intensifies energy conversion from the modulated electron beam to the electromagnetic field. Because of the enhancement of centralized transition radiation, the power generated in the extractor constitutes over 95% of the total power. Consistent with the results from numerical simulations, microwaves with a power of 5.0 GW, a frequency of 4.4 GHz, and a pulsewidth of 36 ns were obtained in high-power microwave generation experiments with an external magnetic field of 0.42 T, in which the diode voltage and beam current were configured to be 815 kV and 15.5 kA, respectively, indicating a beam–wave conversion efficiency of 40%. The diode insulation was investigated experimentally, and an unfortunate shunting current of over 3 kA was observed when the working voltage was beyond 800 kV, which indicates an actual conversion efficiency of 33% in the diode region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter describes a recent activity in the development of a high-power microwave source based on a modified relativistic backward wave oscillator that is driven by an advanced version of a SINUS-family accelerator using a double-width pulse-forming line insulated with a modern synthetic oil. The relatively compact source of microwave pulses (0.6 GW, 20 ns, 9.4 GHz) can operate at a 100 pps repetition rate in a batch mode with batches of duration up to 15 s. The long-term stability of the oscillator performances during $10^{{6}}$ pulses was achieved due to the improved conditions for explosive emission of the graphite cathode and the use of a titanium slow wave structure. Both factors prevented the shortening of the microwave pulses. With a proper choice of the magnetic field strength and longitudinal distribution and of the position of the resonant reflector, the pulse-to-pulse deviation of the microwave power was reduced with sacrifice in efficiency, which decreased from a simulated maximum efficiency of 44% to 40% in the simulation and to 35 ± 4% in the experiment. At an accelerating voltage of 418 kV and a magnetic induction of 0.64 T at the cathode, the standard deviation of the microwave pulsed power could be close to the voltage deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An annular cathode is generally fixed on a cylindrical cathode holder in a magnetically insulated coaxial foilless diode. Electrons emitted from cathode plasmas or the cathode holder may easily move backward under the action of the quasi-static electric field and axial magnetic field, leading to backward current loss, which will seriously reduce the efficiency of high power microwave sources, especially under the condition of a low guiding magnetic field. A novel storage electrode immersed in the uniform magnetic field is proposed to suppress the backward current. Reverse electrons will be decelerated and blocked by the storage electrode. Under the guiding magnetic field of 0.66 T, over 66% of the backward current is suppressed (from 3.6 kA to 1.2 kA) when the storage electrode is used, and furthermore, the waveforms of the diode voltage and current are improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of reproducibly generating an electron beam with a current density of up to 5 kA/cm2, without the cathode-anode gap being shorted by the plasma formed inside the cathode carbon-epoxy capillaries, in a ∼350 kV, ∼600 ns diode, with and without an external guiding magnetic field, are presented. The cathode sustained hundreds of pulses without degradation of its emission properties. Time- and space-resolved emissions of the plasma and spectroscopy analyses were used to determine the cathode plasma's density, temperature, and expansion velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, several types of plasma electron sources, studied in the Plasma Physics and Pulsed power Laboratory during the last 20 years, are considered. Namely, main parameters, such as plasma density and temperature, expansion velocity and plasma uniformity, life-time and vacuum compatibility of passive plasma cathodes (explosive emission cathodes, metal ceramic, velvet, carbon fiber with and without CsI coating, carbon capillary, and multi-capillary and multi-slot) and active plasma cathodes (ferroelectric and hollow anodes) are described and discussed. These parameters were studied and characterized using different timeand space-resolved electrical, optical, spectroscopic, Thomson scattering, Laser Induced Fluorescence and Xray diagnostics. It was shown that the operation of passive sources is governed by the formation of flashover plasma whose parameters depend on the amplitude and rise time of the accelerating electric field. In the case of ferroelectric and hollow-anode plasma sources, the plasma parameters are controlled by the driving pulse and discharge current, respectively. In addition, parameters of high-current electron beams generated in high voltage and high current electron diodes with these plasma cathodes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the effects of cathode materials on the oscillation mode of a virtual cathode oscillator (vircator). In the case of the stainless steel cathode, an oscillation mode hopping appeared with two separate frequencies. Interestingly, the vircator using the carbon fiber cathode exhibited an almost unchanged microwave frequency throughout the microwave pulse. To understand this phenomenon, several parameters are compared, including the diode voltage, accelerating gap, emitting area, and beam uniformity. It was found that a flat-top voltage and a relatively stable gap will provide a possibility of generating a constant microwave frequency. Further, the cathode operated in a regime where the beam current was between the space-charge limited current determined by Child–Langmuir law and the bipolar flow. On the cathode surface, the electron emission is initiated from discrete plasma spots and next from a continuing area, while there is a liberation process of multilayer gases on the anode surface. The changes in the emitting area of carbon fiber cathode showed a self-quenching process, which is not observed in the case of stainless steel cathode. The two-dimensional effect of microwave frequency is introduced, and the obtained results supported the experimental observations on the oscillation mode. By examining the cross section of electron beam, the electron beam for carbon fiber cathode was significantly centralized, while the discrete beam spots appeared for stainless steel cathode. These results show that the slowed diode closure, high emission uniformity, and stable microwave frequency tend to be closely tied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the pulse repetition rate and the maintenance-free lifetime of an improved magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) previously developed in our laboratory, a metal-dielectric cathode is investigated experimentally. It consists of three components: a stainless steel base, bronze foils, and double-sided printed boards. The experimental results show that the shot-to-shot reproducibility of the diode voltage and current is very good and the performances of the improved MILO are steady. In addition, no observable degradation could be detected in the emissive characteristic of the metal-dielectric cathode after 350 shots. The experimental results prove that the metal-dielectric cathode is a promising cathode for repetitively pulsed MILO operation. However, the leading edge of the radiated microwave pulse is gradually delayed during the repetition rate. A likely reason is that high pressure results in gas ionization in the beam-microwave interaction region, and plasma formation delays the time that the improved MILO achieves nonlinear steady state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations on the dynamics of virtual cathode oscillation are performed with a reflex triode virtual cathode oscillator powered by a 450 kV, 400 ns voltage pulse. Based on the diode impedance changes, the dynamics of virtual cathode oscillation are discussed. Four ensuing processes, corresponding to different stages of microwave emission, exist in the temporal behavior of diode impedance changes. When the turning point of diode impedance forms, the beam current develops into the parapotential flow. The process of microwave emission can be described by diode impedance changes. To confirm this mechanism, self-pinching of the beam current and current-voltage characteristics are introduced. This mechanism is independent of the cathode material and structure. When the experiments were carried out with a carbon fiber cathode, the 300 MW, 180 ns microwave emission was obtained, the beam current density reached kA/cm2 level, and the plasma expansion rate was 1.3 cm/μs. These results show that the carbon fiber cathode is a potential candidate for high-power microwave sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the properties of the plasma and the electron beam produced by velvet cathodes in a diode powered by a ∼200 kV, ∼300 ns pulse is presented. Spectroscopic measurements demonstrated that the source of the electrons is surface plasma with electron density and temperature of ∼4×1014 cm-3 and ∼7 eV, respectively, for an electron current density of ∼50 A/cm2. At the beginning of the accelerating pulse, the plasma expands at a velocity of ∼106 cm/s towards the anode for a few millimeters, where its stoppage occurs. It was shown by optical and x-ray diagnostics that in spite of the individual character and nonuniform cross-sectional distribution of the cathode plasma sources, the uniformity of the extracted electron beam is satisfactory. A mechanism controlling the electron current-density cross-sectional uniformity is suggested. This mechanism is based on a fast radial plasma expansion towards the center due to a magnetic-field radial gradient. Finally, it was shown that the interaction of the electron beam with the stainless-steel anode does not lead to the formation of an anode plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributions of emission centers (ECs) on planar explosive emission dielectric (velvet) cathodes at moderate electric fields of 30–70 kV/cm and pulse durations of ∼2 μs with the use of a fast framing camera have been investigated. The experimental results suggest a link between the EC distribution and current conduction paths through which the electron current is supplied to the cathode plasma. On bare velvet, the surrounding metal electrode was shown not to be of primary importance for the current conduction, instead, the current is supplied to explosive emission plasma mainly through the base of the velvet fabric. Development of a circle of brighter and larger ECs along the perimeter of the cathode was normally observed shortly after the beginning of the high voltage pulse. These ECs were found to be a major factor in the diode perveance growth and instability. Domination of the ECs on the cathode periphery has been suppressed by adding a pattern of well defined current conduction points, e.g., perforations of the velvet fabric, to the cathode design. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the operation of an electron diode with a cathode based on a hollow plasma anode (HPA) design. Six arc sources placed inside the anode cavity were used to produce a preliminary plasma. The latter was used to produce a high-current (up to 4 kA) gaseous discharge without formation of plasma spots at the anode wall and output grid. The plasma parameters inside the HPA were measured for different N[sub 2] and Xe gas pressures and discharge current amplitudes. It was found that the HPA operation is characterized by a negative anode potential fall and that the plasma density and temperature inside the anode are ≈6 × 10[sup 12] cm[sup -3] and ≈ 9 eV, respectively. The characteristics of an electron diode and the generated electron beam were studied under an accelerating voltage amplitude ≤250 kV and 400 ns pulse duration for different parameters of the HPA. It was found that in the beginning of the accelerating pulse the diode operates in a plasma prefilled mode while later the diode current is determined by the emission capability of the HPA plasma. It was shown that this source allows generation of an electron beam with a cross-sectional area of 100 cm² and a current amplitude up to 1.2 kA, without the formation of explosive plasma at the surface of the HPA output grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of the investigation of a metal-ceramic cathode suitable for technological applications. The cathode was tested in electron diodes powered by two different high-voltage generators (500 kV, 50 ns, 300 Ω, ≤200 Hz and 300 kV, 250 ns, 84 Ω, ≤5 Hz). The metal-ceramic cathode which was made in a form of a disk was composed of TiO[sub 2] ceramics with stainless steel spherical particles uniformly inserted inside. It was shown that already at relatively low accelerating fields (E ≤ 5 kV/cm) fast cathode plasma formation occurs as a result of surface flashover. This surface flashover is initiated in triple points located in micropores which were formed during the process of cathode preparation due to the different thermal expansion coefficients of the ceramic and the metal. Experimental data concerning the uniformity of the light emission from the cathode surface and inside the anode-cathode gap and divergence of the generated electron beams are presented. Also, it is shown that the uniformity of the generated electron beam depends strongly on the duration of the accelerating pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosive field emission cathodes have been a subject of research for a number of years. These cathodes offer high current densities and total current without requiring a heater for the production of electrons. Generally these cathodes consist of some structure with a series of tips or metal–dielectric regions in which a large electric field enhancement can occur. A cathode plasma is then formed from these discharge points that then supplies the electrons necessary for space charge limited emission. This article reports on a series of optical measurements in which the cathode and anode plasmas of explosive field emission cathodes are observed. Three types of cathodes are investigated. These types are a polymer velvet cathode, a metal–dielectric cathode, and a tufted carbon fiber cathode in which the fibers have been coated with a cesium iodide salt. Cesium iodide coated carbon fiber cathodes have shown a great deal of promise for various field emitter applications. From these high speed photos, the evolution of the plasmas on both cathode and anode can be qualitatively ascertained. Experimentally we find that not only does cathode plasma behavior depend on the type of cathode, but the anode plasma behavior does also. Further, we find that the best performing cathode shows the most rapid plasma formation on both anode and cathode, yet without a rapid plasma expansion across the anode–cathode gap. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the parameters of a hollow-cathode electron source and the generated electron beam are presented. A gas puff valve is used to provide a sharp pressure gradient between the cathode cavity and the accelerating gap. To produce the plasma inside the hollow cathode we used a pulse forming network (10 kV, 5-10 µs, 5 ω). Generation of a high-current electron beam was achieved under an accelerating voltage of 20-kV amplitude and 500-ns pulse duration. The parameters of the He gas and the plasma inside the cathode and the accelerating gap were studied by electrical and optical diagnostics for different gas pressures and discharge current amplitudes. It was found that the operation of the hollow cathode is characterized by a negative anode potential fall and that the plasma density and temperature inside the hollow cathode do not exceed 5 x 10[sup 12] cm]sup -3] and 14 eV, respectively. The parameters of the electron beam were studied for different discharge current amplitudes and anode grid cell sizes. It was shown that efficient electron beam generation with a beam current amplitude of up to 300 A is achieved without significant increase of the plasma potential. Space-charge neutralization processes in the accelerating gap explain the excess of the electron current density above its space-charge-limited value, in agreement with the measured potential distribution in the accelerating gap. The results of computer simulations of the hollow-cathode operation are in satisfactory agreement with the obtained experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental results of high-current electron beam generation in a planar diode with a ferroelectric plasma cathode and a control grid are presented. The plasma is formed as a result of noncomplete discharge on the surface of a BaTiO[sub 3] sample when a driving pulse is applied to its rear electrode. This noncomplete surface discharge leads also to the appearance of fast plasma flows which fill the anode–cathode gap prior to the application of the accelerating electric field. The measured plasma densities and flow velocities allow us to estimate the bias potential of the control grid which is needed for the suppression of the plasma flows. The dependence of the plasma density on the grid potential is presented. Using the control grid, operation of the diode with the ferroelectric plasma cathode is achieved with negligible plasma prefilling of the anode–cathode gap. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of a planar diode with a large area (64 cm2) ferroelectric plasma cathode based on BaTiO[sub 3] ceramics is studied. Diode parameters and parameters of the generated electron beam are investigated under accelerating voltage of 200–350 kV and pulse duration of 250 ns. Parameters of the plasma, which forms on the surface of the ferroelectric cathode due to incomplete discharge, are reported as well. It is shown that the application of this cathode allows one to produce an electron beam simultaneously with application of the accelerating pulse. The generation of an electron beam with current density up to 20 A/cm2 and divergence of less than 1° is demonstrated. It is shown that diode operation is governed by parameters of the cathode plasma which fills the anode–cathode gap prior to application of the accelerating voltage pulse. By proper adjustment of the cathode and diode parameters the operation of the diode with almost constant impedance is achieved. Measurements of the potential distribution in the diode confirm that the diode operates in a plasma-prefilled mode. The cathode is found to be capable of operating for up to 10[sup 5] pulses at a repetition rate of few Hz without any maintenance and with relatively small vacuum deterioration. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of the investigation of different types of cathodes operating in an electron diode powered by a high-voltage generator (300 kV, 250 ns, 84 Ω, ≤5 Hz). The cathodes which have the same emitting area of 100 cm2 are made of metal-ceramic, carbon fibers, carbon fabric, velvet, or corduroy. We also tested carbon fibers and carbon fabric cathodes coated by CsI. It was shown that for all types of cathodes the electron emission occurs from the plasma which is formed as a result of a flashover of separate emitting centers. The amount of the emitting centers and the time delay in the electron emission were found to depend strongly on the accelerating electric field growth rate. Experimental data concerning the uniformity of the light emission from the cathode surface and divergence of the generated electron beams are presented. Data related to the general parameters of the diode, namely its impedance, power, and energy are given as well. For all the cathodes investigated the observed diode impedance indicated the existence of a quasistationary cathode plasma boundary for electron current density ≤20 A/cm2. We present the dependencies of the average emitted electron current density and of the time delay in the electron emission on the number of generator shots. We also present data of the vacuum deterioration as a result of the tested cathodes operation. The obtained data are discussed within the framework of plasma formation as a result of cathode surface flashover. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and study a scheme of a microwave pulse generator operating in the frequency ranges near 37 and 73 GHz, in which the electron interaction with both the (−1)st harmonic of the counterpropagating TM02 mode and the synchronous slowed-down TM01 mode is combined in a sectionalized slow-wave system with an average diameter of 2.5λ. An efficient current modulation at the input of the slow-wave system is ensured in the region of the cathode–anode gap and the matching section, which reduces the diffraction loss of the energy flow directed towards the cathode. Numerical modeling shows that the efficiency of converting the electron-beam power to microwave radiation is up to 50%. Experiments demonstrate a stable regime of generation of subgigawatt pulses at an efficiency of more than 40% in the upper part of the millimeterwavelength range, which have a reproducible spatial wave structure corresponding predominantly to the TM01 mode at the input of the emitting horn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism and realization of a cross-band relativistic Cherenkov oscillator based on the cathode adjustment are presented. The device adopts coaxial dual-annular cathode to emit the inner and the outer electron beams, independently. When the inner annular cathode is extended and the outer annular cathode is retracted, the electron beams are emitted from the inner cathode and interact with the internal electromagnetic structure to generate Ka-band microwaves. On the contrary, the outer electron beams interact with the external electromagnetic structure to generate X-band microwaves. Thus, the cross-band microwave generation can be achieved only by adjusting the protrusion and retraction of dual-annular cathode. By the particle-in-cell (PIC) method, the physical process of beam-wave interaction in the device is studied, and the high efficiency internal-external double electromagnetic structures are designed. Simulation results show that the X-band microwave with a power of 1.50 GW and a frequency of 8.55 GHz is generated, corresponding to an efficiency of 32%. Meanwhile, the Ka-band microwave with power of 650 MW and frequency of 31.80 GHz is generated, corresponding to efficiency of 28%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of a double accelerating voltage pulse on the formation of a high-current electron beam in a magnetically insulated coaxial diode under fore-vacuum pressures has been investigated. High voltage pulses of durations <0.5 and ∼1 ns and amplitudes (modulo) <120 and ≥ 160 kV, respectively, were applied to a graphite cathode with a submicrosecond delay. When the time delay between the pulses was increased to a certain value at a residual gas pressure of 5 × 10−3 Torr, the current of the second beam increased about fourfold and then decreased. The current reached a maximum of 4.5 kA, which was greater than that carried by the matched load of the high voltage generator. The observed effect can be accounted for by the neutralization of the beam charge in the plasma expanding from the cathode. The plasma channel could be formed due to explosive electron emission from the cathode or due to impact ionization of the residual gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high power electron diode is used to generate an intense high quality pulsed electron beam (2.6 kA, 4 MeV) in order to produce a bremsstrahlung radiation pulse for the first axis of the flash radiography facility named Epure. The plasma created by surface flashover of the velvet cathode provides a zero work function emitter used to produce the space-charge-limited electron beam. In order to optimize the design of diodes and to better understand the plasma dynamics, we have developed a 0D Collisional-Radiative Model (CRM) which describes the time-dependent evolution of the density of the plasma species in three plasma compositions: 100% H, 95% H + 5% C, and 64% H + 31% O + 5% C. The non-equilibrium electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) are pre-calculated for a large range of electron mean energies for each mixture. EEDFs and cross sections of electron impact processes are then used to tabulate the electron rate coefficients needed to simulate the time-dependent plasma species densities. The evolution of the electron mean energy is estimated through the electron beam current density itself inferred from particle-in-cell calculations experimentally validated. Visible emission spectroscopy measurements were performed in order to investigate the plasma composition, to measure the Hα/Hβ intensity ratio, and to estimate the electron density. It was shown that the electron density in our setup is between 1014 and 1016 cm−3. Experimental results were compared to the 0D CRM. Results from the time-dependent CRM show that for the three studied plasma compositions, maximum electron densities range from 0.9 × 1014 cm−3 to 1.7 × 1014 cm−3 and that the electron energy averaged over the time interval of the electronic beam pulse is about 3.5 eV. An estimate of the electron energy inside the plasma during the relaxation provides values ranging from 0.10 eV to 0.12 eV based on comparison between the calculated and measured Hα/Hβ intensity ratio averaged over 5 μs. Moreover, main reactions involved in the evolution of the electron density were pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifetime of explosive emission cathodes is important for high power microwave generators operating in the repetitive regime. For normal metallic cathodes, micropoints on the cathode surface with large field enhancement factors may be gradually consumed in explosive electron emission, which will lead to a limited lifetime. In this paper, a metal-ferroelectric cathode made of stainless steel and BaTiO3 is manufactured. Under voltage close to 1 MV and current near 10 kA, this cathode presents a much longer lifetime than the normal stainless steel cathode, demonstrating the lifetime advantage of the metal-ferroelectric cathode. Nevertheless, in the lifetime experiment of 1.28 x 105 pulses, this metal-ferroelectric cathode also presents obvious lifetime phenomena, one of which is the microwave duration generated by a relativistic backward wave oscillator decreasing from 27 ns to 19 ns. Observation of the cathode surface morphology shows that the emission property deterioration of the metal-ferroelectric cathode may originate from severe ablation of the ferroelectric ceramic layer, which leads to shortening of the ceramic layer relative to the metallic layer. Therefore, choosing the metallic material properly and decreasing the blade thickness of the metallic layer moderately may suppress the relative shortening of the ceramic layer and thus can further lengthen the lifetime of the metal-ferroelectric cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using measured waveforms from a synchronous-wave ferrite nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate the potential to emit GW-class electron beams (hundreds of kilovolts, multiple kiloamperes) with current modulations as great as 30% of the average beam current, with modulations occurring at a peak frequency equal to that of the peak NLTL output frequency. The NLTL-modulated beam is then coupled to disk-on-rod slow wave structure (SWS) simulations in which it is shown that the extractable RF generated through interaction of the modulated beam with the SWS is up to ten times greater than that directly extractable from the NLTL itself. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We present the repetitive operation research results of an L-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator with metal array cathode (MAC-MILO) in this paper. To ensure a more uniform emission of electrons emitted from the cathode, metal plates with different outer radii and thicknesses are periodically arranged in longitudinal direction on the cathode substrate to act as emitters. The higher order mode depressed MILO (HDMILO) structure is applied to ensure stability of the tube. Comparison experiments are carried out between velvet cathode and MAC MILO driven by a 20 GW/40 Ω/40 ns/20 Hz pulse power system. Experimental results reveal that the MAC has much lower outgassing rate, much longer life time, and higher repetitive stability. The MAC-MILO could work stably with a rep-rate up to 20 Hz at a power level of 550 MW when employing a 350 kV/35 kA electric pulse. The TE11 mode radiation pattern in the farfield region reveals the tube works steadily on the dominant mode. More than 2000 shots have been tested in repetitive mode without any obvious degradation of the detected microwave parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosive emission cathodes (EECs) are widely used due to their large current. There has been much research on the explosive electron emission mechanism demonstrating that a current density of 108-109A/cm² is necessary for a micropoint to explode in several nanoseconds and the micropoint size is in micron-scale according to the observation of the cathode surface. This paper, however, makes an effort to research the current density and the micropoint size in another way which considers the space charge screening effect. Our model demonstrates that the relativistic effect is insignificant for the micropoint emission due to the small size of the micropoint and uncovers that the micron-scale size is an intrinsic demand for the micropoint to reach a space charge limited current density of 108-109A/cm². Meanwhile, our analysis shows that as the voltage increases, the micropoint emission will turn from a field limited state to a space charge limited state, which makes the steady-state micropoint current density independent of the cathode work function and much less dependent on the electric field and the field enhancement factor than that predicted by the Fowler-Nordheim formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission threshold of explosive emission cathodes (EECs) is an important factor for beam quality. It can affect the explosive emission delay time, the plasma expansion process on the cathode surface, and even the current amplitude when the current is not fully space-charge-limited. This paper researches the influence of the emission threshold of an annular EEC on the current waveform in a foilless diode when the current is measured by a Rogowski coil. The particle-in-cell simulation which is performed under some tolerable and necessary simplifications shows that the long explosive emission delay time of high-threshold cathodes may leave an apparent peak of displacement current on the rise edge of the current waveform, and this will occur only when the electron emission starts after this peak. The experimental researches, which are performed under a diode voltage of 1 MV and a repetitive frequency of 20 Hz, demonstrate that the graphite cathode has a lower emission threshold and a longer lifetime than the stainless steel cathode according to the variation of the peak of displacement current on the rise edge of the current waveform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface flashover of a carbon fiber velvet cathode generates a discharge from which electrons are relativistically accelerated to γ ranging from 4.9 to 8.8 through a 17.8 cm diode. This discharge is assumed to be a hydrocarbon mixture. The principal objective of these experiments is to quantify the dynamics over the ~100 ns pulse of the plasma discharge generated on the surface of the velvet cathode and across the anode-cathode (A-K) gap. A qualitative comparison of calculated and measured results is presented, which includes time resolved measurements with a photomultiplier tube and charge-coupled device images. In addition, initial visible spectroscopy measurements will also be presented confirming the ion species are dominated by hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the methods of registration and reconstruction of an envelope of explosive electron emission current from the edge of a cylindrical cathode, which provides a picosecond time reference of the emitted electron beam with a subnanosecond voltage front applied to the accelerating gap. Variation of the front steepness allows one to determine the beam onset time in the experiments, where a collector-type current probe can be used. The advanced method of dynamic time domain reflectometry provides exact data on electron beam current rise and track changes in the cathode emission from pulse to pulse with a precision of less than 10 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current characteristics and operating lifetime of the explosive emission cathode based on a carbon microfiber are investigated in the pulsed-periodic mode of operation with pulse duration of about 5 ns. Long-term (for up to 3.6 million pulses) tests of the cathode operating lifetime are carried out. Specific ablation of the fiber material equal to 2.4·10 g/C is obtained. Change in the morphology of the fiber surface during long-time operation caused by deposition of carbon from the cathode plasma is revealed. The microscopic electric field strength on the fiber surface is estimated taking into account the surface microrelief. The efficiency of microwave generation comparable with that of a velvet cathode in low (200 kV/cm) average electric field in the gap is obtained for the Cherenkov microwave generator with vacuum diode without external magnetic field of decimeter wavelength range based on the SINUS-7 pulsed-periodic high-current electron accelerator with current pulse duration of 50 ns. The operating lifetime no less than 10 pulses is demonstrated for the carbon fiber-based cathode of the microwave generator operating in the mode of pulse batch with duration of several seconds and pulse repetition frequency of 20-50 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike planar diodes, separate research of the axial and radial plasma expansion velocities is difficult for magnetically insulated coaxial diodes. Time-resolved electrical diagnostic which is based on the voltage-ampere characteristics has been employed to study the temporal evolution of the axial and radial cathode plasma expansion velocities in a long pulsed magnetically insulated coaxial diode. Different from a planar diode with a “U” shaped profile of temporal velocity evolution, the temporal evolution trend of the axial expansion velocity is proved to be a “V” shaped profile. Apart from the suppression on the radial expansion velocity, the strong magnetic field is also conducive to slowing down the axial expansion velocity. Compared with the ordinary graphite cathode, the carbon velvet and graphite composite cathode showed superior characteristics as judged by the low plasma expansion velocity and long-term electrical stability as a promising result for applications where long-pulsed and reliable operation at high power is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The currents of 5-ns pulsed high-current electron beams produced in a planar vacuum diode with explosive-emission cathodes made of various materials with no external magnetic field at an average electric field strength in the gap of about 300 kV/cm have been measured and time-integrated observation of the optical luminescence of the cathode surface have been performed. Cathodes with a ceramic bushing and spring metal contacts, with ceramic plates set in a magnetic iron matrix, with blades made of stamped exfoliated graphite (Graflex), with blades made of foil fiberglass plastic, and a composite cathode made of crystalline boron and copper powders were tested. The current carried by one emission center has been estimated to range between 5 and 20 A for various cathodes. For the metal-dielectric cathode, the velocity of expansion of the cathode plasma over the ceramic surface has been estimated as 2·10 cm/s. The lifetimes of the cathodes at a pulse repetition rate of 50 Hz have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a large-scale parallel 3-D fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code named Nonlinear Evolution of Plasma-interaction Technology Under Nonneutral Environment—Three Dimensional (NEPTUNE3D) developed with the support of a parallel adaptive structured mesh application infrastructure JASMIN. NEPTUNE3D can be used to simulate beam–wave interactions in high-power microwave (HPM) generators. Some novel parallelization techniques are adopted in the NEPTUNE3D code for high parallel efficiency and good scalability. Some real-world HPM devices have been successfully simulated by NEPTUNE3D, such as the relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO), the magnetically insulated line oscillator (MILO), the virtual cathode oscillator, and the relativistic klystron amplifier. In this paper, two recent simulation examples are presented. The first is simulations of a knife-edge cathode RBWO, using 128 processors very efficiently. The second example is simulations of a MILO with a plate-inserted mode-transducing antenna, modeled using 27 million cells, 3 million particles, and 1024 processors with relatively high parallel efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The results of investigations of a double-gap vircator driven by a 20 \Omega and 500-ns generator operating in the output voltage range 400–600 kV are presented. The vircator generated microwave pulses with a peak power of up to 200 MW at \sim5% efficiency and the frequency varied from 2.0 to 2.3 GHz depending on the cavity geometry. The limitations on the microwave pulse duration not related to the cathode plasma expansion are addressed. On the one hand, the microwave generation is terminated because of the plasma formation at the foil separating the cavity sections, so that the virtual cathode (VC) electron space charge is neutralized by the plasma ion flux. On the other hand, if the electron beam energy deposition into the foil is reduced, a substantial delay in the start time of the microwave generation appears, which has been studied in detail. With these limiting factors, the microwave pulse full duration varied from 100 to 350 ns; the maximal full width at half maximum duration achieved in the experiments was \sim180 ns. Measurements of the current transmitted through the vircator cavity indicated the existence of a VC in spite of the absence of microwave generation during the delay. The experimental dependence of the microwave generation starting current on the diode voltage is presented, and possible mechanisms behind the generation delay are discussed. Simplified numerical simulations emphasize the role of the portion of electrons that are reflected from the VC, the number of which must be sufficient for the microwave generation to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Experimental data on the generation of picosecond runaway electron beams in an air gap with an inhomogeneous electric field at a cathode voltage of up to 500 kV are presented. The methods and equipment developed for these experiments made it possible to measure the beam characteristics with a time resolution of better than 10 s, determine the voltage range and the beam formation time in the breakdown delay stage, and demonstrate the influence of the state of the cathode surface on the stability of runaway electron generation. It is demonstrated that the critical electron runaway field in air agrees with the classical concepts and that the accelerated beam can be compressed to ∼20 ps. It is unlikely that, under these conditions, the beam duration is limited due to the transition of field emission from the cathode to a microexplosion of inhomogeneities. The maximum energy acquired by runaway electrons in the course of acceleration does not exceed the value corresponding to the electrode voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lternative factors that account for a limitation of the period of injection of picosecond runaway electron bunches in air-filled diode with inhomogeneous electric field are analyzed. Experimental data on the characteristics of such electron beams have been obtained under the conditions with variable emissive properties of the cathode, time of the voltage prepulse action, and electric field strength in the region of electron injection. Based on these data, a hypothesis is formulated and justified that the mechanism of limitation related to a transition from the field electron emission to the explosion of microinhomogeneities is less probable than the mechanism of current limitation by a screening plasma cloud formed over the point electron emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of a double-gap S-band vircator has been investigated at submicrosecond duration of a high-current electron beam generated in a planar diode. The experiments were performed at accelerating voltages of ≤550 kV and diode currents of up to 17 kA using a radio-frequency cavity with a wide coupling window between its two sections. Three types of cathodes have been studied, namely, metal-dielectric, carbon fiber, and velvet cathodes. The main features of the operation of the vircator using each cathode are analyzed. The microwave pulse duration with the metal-dielectric and carbon fiber cathodes reached ∼250 ns at the peak power level of ∼100 MW; with the velvet cathode, a duration of ∼400 ns was achieved. It has been found that, in addition to the common limitations of the microwave pulse duration related to the dynamics of the diode impedance governed by the cathode plasma expansion, there is another factor, namely, the anode-cathode gap, which determines the delay at the beginning of the microwave generation. The latter effect is explained by the role of electrons oscillating between the virtual and real cathodes in the generation process. The issue of radiated microwave frequency behavior is discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the construction of carbon-fiber-aluminum (CFA) cathode by squeezing casting and its applications for generating high-current electron beams to drive high-power microwave sources. The fabrication process avoided using epoxy, a volatile deteriorating the vacuum system. These cathodes had a higher hardness than conventional aluminum, facilitating machining. After surface treatment, carbon fibers became the dominator determining emission property. A multineedle CFA cathode was utilized in a triode virtual cathode oscillator (vircator), powered by a ∼450 kV, ∼400 ns pulse. It was found that 300–400 MW, ∼250 ns microwave was radiated at a dominant frequency of 2.6 GHz. Further, this cathode can endure high-current-density emission without detectable degradation in performance as the pulse shot proceeded, showing the robust nature of carbon fibers as explosive emitters. Overall, this new class of cold cathodes offers a potential prospect of developing high-current electron beam sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]