Pulse shortening in high-peak-power Reltron tubes

Robert B. Miller

doi:10.1117/12.255385

28 October 1996 Pulse shortening in high-peak-power Reltron tubes

Robert B. Miller

Proceedings Volume 2843, Intense Microwave Pulses IV; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.255385
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1996, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

Most high-peak-power (>= 100 MW) microwave tubes are seemingly limited to an output RF energy per pulse of about 100 J. While Titan's L-band Reltron tubes have achieved 250 J/pulse, we have also observed pulse-shortening phenomena in both the modulating cavity and output cavity regions. We have examined the effects of construction materials, fabrication techniques, vacuum pressure, and conditioning. We will present data from these experiments and discuss a plausible pulse-shortening hypothesis involving electric- field-induced gas evolution and subsequent ionization. We believe that our energy-per-pulse limitations are the result of our current tube construction approach which uses explosive emission cathodes, plastic insulators, and grids to define cavity boundaries. While some simple extensions of this approach offers some hope for increasing the energy per pulse to perhaps 500 joules in L-band, we believe that achieving >= 1 kJ/pulse will require the use of conventional microwave tube construction techniques, including thermionic cathodes, ceramic insulators, and brazed joining with high-temperature bakeout. We will present the design of an L-band Reltron tube having these features.

Citation Download Citation

Robert B. Miller "Pulse shortening in high-peak-power Reltron tubes", Proc. SPIE 2843, Intense Microwave Pulses IV, (28 October 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.255385

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