Initial plasma-filled backward-wave oscillator experiments using a cathode-mounted plasma prefill source

Pulsed power-driven high-power microwave sources

“…Researchers at Maryland have achieved an impressive 300% tunability (8-24 GHz) in a plasma-filled BWO using a window-mounted pulsed plasma fill source and coaxial extraction [50]. Researchers at UNM developed a novel cathode-mounted plasma prefill source in a BWO that was used to achieve a modest 30% efficiency enhancement over the vacuum case [51]. Researchers at Hughes have, over the past decade and a half, developed the PASOTRON source that utilized electron beam propagation in the ion focused regime to couple energy with slow waves in a BWO-like structure, as indicated in Fig.…”

Measurements of an expanding surface flashover plasma

“…Because vacuum surface flashover presents one of the primary limits on the achievable electric field in vacuum devices, an improved understanding of this process and the methods to control it is critical for the development of advanced, compact devices. [2][3][4] However, the ability of these discharges to produce copious quantities of light and plasma has also been put to good use in systems as diverse as closing 5 and opening 6 switches, as well as electron, 7-9 ion, 10,11 x-ray, 12 UV, 13 and microwave 14 sources. In many of these applications, the velocity at which the plasma expands away from the discharge site is of great importance.…”

Plasma Cathode for a Short-Pulse Dielectric Wall Accelerator

“…A number of researchers have previously used flashboardgenerated plasmas as the basis of plasma cathodes [19]- [24]. In addition, flashboards have been widely used in plasma opening switches [25]- [29], as plasma sources for microwave tube [30] and beam dynamics experiments [31], and as sources of ions [32], X-rays [20], and UV light [33], [34]. Flashboard plasmas have been found to consist mostly of protons and carbon ions [27], [30], [35], [36], even when using copper electrodes [35].…”