Demonstration of efficiency enhancement in a high power backward wave oscillator by plasma injection

Y. Carmel, W. W. Destler, V. L. Granatstein, K. Minami, D. Abe, W. R. Lou, R. A. Kehs

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

A strong enhancement of the interaction efficiency in a high-power relativistic backward wave oscillator when plasma is injected has been demonstrated experimentally. Plasma injection enhances the interaction efficiency by a factor of up to 8 to a value of about 40%. Overdriving the device with plasma above a critical density quenches the interaction. It is anticipated that plasma injection will prove beneficial in other high-power microwave and millimeter-wave devices, such as free-electron lasers and gyrotrons. The enhanced interaction is attributed to induced scattering of the electromagnetic radiation of electrons in an electrostatic field produced by the background plasma and a beam space-charge wave in the corrugated interaction region.

Original languageEnglish
Pages150
Number of pages1
StatePublished - 1 Dec 1989
Externally publishedYes
EventIEEE International Conference on Plasma Science 1989 - Buffalo, NY, USA
Duration: 22 May 198924 May 1989

Conference

ConferenceIEEE International Conference on Plasma Science 1989
CityBuffalo, NY, USA
Period22/05/8924/05/89

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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