Electromagnetic wave propagation and minimizing energy losses in a rectangular waveguide filled with inhomogeneous movable plasma under the effect of a relativistic electron beam

Abstract

An analytical study is carried on the dispersion properties of a rectangular waveguide filled with warm and cold inhomogeneous magnetized movable plasma. A relativistic electron beam (REB) is considered as the only mechanism for controlling the field attenuation, the field stability, and minimizing the energy losses of the waveguide. The dispersion relations in $$\omega$$ describing different physical situations of the propagated electromagnetic waves and their damping rate are obtained. The conditions for the field stability in the waveguide are also obtained. It was found that the H-wave modes can only be attenuated by collisional effects. It was also found that the presence of the relativistic electron beam causes coupling between the TE waves and the TM waves, consequently adding a correction (growth rate) to the refractive index. Such growth rate of the excited E-waves is calculated in the presence of the REB. The E-waves were found to be more stable in warm plasma compared to cold plasma, concluding that the REB plays a crucial role in controlling the field attenuation in the waveguide.