We present results of the investigation of different types of cathodes operating in an electron diode powered by a high-voltage generator (300 kV, 250 ns, 84 Ω, ⩽5 Hz). The cathodes which have the same emitting area of 100 cm2 are made of metal–ceramic, carbon fibers, carbon fabric, velvet, or corduroy. We also tested carbon fibers and carbon fabric cathodes coated by CsI. It was shown that for all types of cathodes the electron emission occurs from the plasma which is formed as a result of a flashover of separate emitting centers. The amount of the emitting centers and the time delay in the electron emission were found to depend strongly on the accelerating electric field growth rate. Experimental data concerning the uniformity of the light emission from the cathode surface and divergence of the generated electron beams are presented. Data related to the general parameters of the diode, namely its impedance, power, and energy are given as well. For all the cathodes investigated the observed diode impedance indicated the existence of a quasistationary cathode plasma boundary for electron current density ⩽20 A/cm2. We present the dependencies of the average emitted electron current density and of the time delay in the electron emission on the number of generator shots. We also present data of the vacuum deterioration as a result of the tested cathodes operation. The obtained data are discussed within the framework of plasma formation as a result of cathode surface flashover.

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This article presents results of theoretical and experimental studies on the production of ultrashort~a few RF cycles duration! microwave pulses of gigawatt peak powers based on superradiance from high-current electron beams. With the Cherenkov backward-wave-electron-beam interaction in a low-dispersion slow-wave structure, microwave pulses with a peak power greater than the peak power of the driving electron beam have been produced for the first time. In an experiment using the SINUS-150 compact high-current electron accelerator, with a 2.6-kA injected beam current and a 330-kV electron energy, microwave pulses of 1.2 GW peak power and ;0.5 ns duration~FWHM! were generated in the X-band. Production of superradiance pulses in a repetitive regime~3500 Hz! in the Ka-band has been demonstrated using a compact hybrid SOS-modulator. The effect of spatial accumulation of microwave energy in extended slow-wave structures with substantially nonuniform coupling has been demonstrated. In an experiment using the SINUS-200 compact accelerator, X-band pulses of ;3 GW peak power and 0.6-0.7 ns width~FWHM! were produced with a power conversion efficiency of 150-180% and an energy efficiency of ;15%.Calculations performed with various D J values have shown the following: With any value of j k . . 1, the optimum value of D J must be such~D J opt ; exp~Ϫj k !! that the region where the amplitude of the RF current saturates due to the non-188 A. A. Eltchaninov et al.

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This article describes S-band sources of high-power microwave (HPM) pulses: a resonant backward wave oscillator (BWO) producing ∼5-GW, 100-J pulses, based on the SINUS-7 electron accelerator, and a double-section vircator with a peak power of ∼1 GW and a pulse width of 20–50 ns, powered from either the SINUS-7 accelerator or the MARINA inductive-store pulse driver with a fuse opening switch.

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The advent of pulsed power technology in the 1960s has enabled the development of very high peak power sources of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave and millimeter wave bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Such sources have applications in plasma physics, particle acceleration techniques, fusion energy research, high-power radars, and communications, to name just a few. This article describes recent ongoing activity in this field in both Russia and the United States. The overview of research in Russia focuses on high-power microwave (HPM) sources that are powered using SINUS accelerators, which were developed at the Institute of High Current Electronics. The overview of research in the United States focuses more broadly on recent accomplishments of a multidisciplinary university research initiative on HPM sources, which also involved close interactions with Department of Defense laboratories and industry. HPM sources described in this article have generated peak powers exceeding several gigawatts in pulse durations typically on the order of 100 ns in frequencies ranging from about 1 GHz to many tens of gigahertz.Keywords-High-power microwave (HPM), intense electron beams, pulsed power.