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Russian Vacuum Electronics (reference materals).
Ed. M.I. Petelin

RELATIVISTIC CHERENKOV PLASMA MASERS

L. Bogdankevich, I. E. Ivanov, O. T. Loza, A. A. Rukhadze, A.V.Ponomarev, P. S. Strelkov, D. K. Ulyanov,
General Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: Strelkov@fpl.gpi.ru
URL: http://www.plasmaiofan.ru/lab2.html
Microwave oscillators and an amplifier based on the Cherenkov interaction of relativistic electron beams with electromagnetic waves in plasmas produce ~ 50 MW power pulses of up-to 400 ns duration in a 2-25 GHz frequency band:

Oscillators

Pulse power, MW

>50

>50

Pulse duration, ns

80

400

Electronic tuning band

7 — 25 GHz

2 — 6 GHz

Mass, kg

<30

<100

Length, m

1

2

Parameters of the driving electron beam

500 keV, 2 kA


Amplifier


Output pulse power, MW

50

Amplification, dB

30

Pulse duration, ns

80

Instantaneous amplification band, GHz

9 — 13

Mass, kg

<30

Length, m

1

Parameters of the driving electron beam

500 keV, 2 kA

In oscillators, the frequency is changed from pulse to pulse by varying, within 100 microseconds, the delay between high voltage and plasma initiation pulses. The plasma dissipation time being about 1 ms, the multi-frequency performance might be possible with PRF ~ 1 kHz.

Relativistic Cherenkov plasma oscillators e lectronically tunable throughout
7 — 25 GHz ( left) and 2 — 6 GHz ( right ) .