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A comparison of the radial distribution of output HPM power produced by a relativistic magnetron driven by a traditional solid cathode and recently invented transparent cathode was performed. The transparent cathode was found to improve relativistic magnetron operation by providing faster start of microwave oscillations at a predetermined mode without mode competition. Comparison of output microwave pulses produced by the microwave pulse compressor equipped with a mechanically operated switch and a fast gas-discharge switch showed that the latter one sufficiently shortens the rise time of the output microwave pulse. Results of this research suggest that: i) the use of a transparent cathode in relativistic and, probably, nonrelativistic magnetrons provides better mode selection by locking the desired magnetron oscillations in a shorter period of time, and ii) the use of a faster switch (as fast as possible) in a waveguide of a microwave pulse compressor shortens the rise time of the compressed output microwave pulse.
About the author
Andrey D. Andreev received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM in December 2007. He is Sr. High-Power Microwave Physicist with the Raytheon Missile Systems, Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems, Directed Energy Division of the Raytheon Ktech, Albuquerque, NM.
