Experiments and Simulations on a Prototype Recirculating Planar Magnetron

The Multi-Frequency Recirculating Planar Magnetron (MFRPM) is a type of Recirculating Planar Magnetron, a crossed-field, high power microwave source, with the added benefit of simultaneous oscillation at more than one primary frequency. Prior research focused on the design of a dual L/S-band MFRPM prototype to demonstrate simultaneous operation at 1 GHz and 2 GHz. Dual frequency microwave emission on this prototype was recently demonstrated on the Michigan Electron Long Beam Accelerator with a ceramic insulator (MELBA-C), which drives the MFRPM by applying a -300 kV, 0.3-1.0 μs pulse to the cathode. Experiments are underway to characterize operation of the MFRPM prototype. Microwave power extraction and different cathode designs are also being explored to improve operation. Results are compared to simulations of the experimental setup using the MAGIC particle-in-cell and HFSS finite-element codes.

Research supported by ONR Grant N00014-13-1-0566, L-3 Communications EDD, ATK via the use of MAGIC, and the DEPS.