ELECTRON TUBES FOR CONTROLLED THERMONUCLEAR FUSION SYSTEMS

Abstract

Controlled thermonuclear fusion appears to be a field in which the use of electron tubes, in particular high-power tubes, will grow rapidly in the near future. The applications concerned are essentially RF heating of plasmas; the RF current drive; high-current light-ion accelerators and RF sources for spallation machines and fissiles material generators. The diversity of these applications and the range of the frequencies concerned have led Thomson-CSF to develop specific fusion-oriented models of our widely used high power klystrons and grid tubes, to best meet the needs expressed by specialists in the controlled thermonuclear fusion field. The main performances of the different Thomson-CSF electron tubes for use in the controlled fusion field are given, as well as the experimental results to which they have already contributed. The orientations of Thomson-CSF's development effors in this field are also indicated.