Operation of a Sealed-Tube-Vircator High-Power-Microwave Source

The high-power-microwave (HPM) sources currently under development typically require constant pumping to maintain the high vacuum levels required for operation. This pumping is often done with either a cryo- or turbopumping system, either of which would be difficult to deploy in a compact portable s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIEEE transactions on plasma science Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 1618 - 1621
Main Authors Walter, J. W., Lynn, C. F., Dickens, J. C., Kristiansen, M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York IEEE 01.06.2012
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subjects
Anodes
Cathodes
Colleges & universities
Educational institutions
Electron tubes
Explosive electron emission
high-power microwaves (HPMs)
Materials
Microwave measurements
Oscillators
perveance
Plasmas
Pumps
R&D
Radiation
Research & development
vacuum diode
virtual cathode oscillator (vircator)
Texas
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Summary:The high-power-microwave (HPM) sources currently under development typically require constant pumping to maintain the high vacuum levels required for operation. This pumping is often done with either a cryo- or turbopumping system, either of which would be difficult to deploy in a compact portable system. A compact sealed-tube virtual cathode oscillator (vircator) source has been developed at Texas Tech University (TTU) that does not require a bulky external vacuum pump for operation. This device has a base vacuum pressure in the low range compared to the majority of laboratory HPM sources having vacuum levels in the - range. The reduced amount of trapped gasses in the sealed-tube ultrahigh-vacuum environment has the potential to greatly impact device performance. The TTU sealed-tube vircator is useful as a testbed for studying HPM source optimization under UHV conditions. Measured operational characteristics of the tube utilizing a carbon fiber cathode and a nickel anode are presented, along with radiated microwave measurements.
ISSN:0093-3813
1939-9375
DOI:10.1109/TPS.2012.2192454