High-power Millimeter-wave Gyrotron Research Articles

Design and simulation investigations of high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron

ABSTRACTIn this paper, a high power millimeter wave gyrotron cavity was modelled and studied for its beam-wave interaction, beam-misalignment, and thermal issues. The sub-assemblies including the magnetron injection gun (MIG), RF output window, and electron beam collector were investigated. The MIG has produced an annular electron beam with transverse velocity spread less than ∼4%. The Particle–In–Cell simulation predicted an RF output of 470 kW in TE10,4 mode at ∼139.52 GHz for a DC drive of 80 kV, 20 A. The temperature on the inner, outer surfaces of the cavity and the corresponding average radial expansion of the cavity were calculated. Due to the radial expansion of the cavity, the resonant frequency and RF output power has changed to ∼0.514 GHz and ∼50 kW, respectively. Finally, the overall efficiency of the present gyrotron was improved from ∼29% to ∼47% by using a single–stage depressed collector.

Experiment of a High-Power Sub-THz Gyrotron Operating in High-Order Axial Modes

To explore the approach for generating high-power frequency-tunable subterahertz (sub-THz) to THz radiation, a 220-GHz high-order axial modes (HOAMs) gyrotron is developed, and the proof-of-principle experiment is presented in this paper. Experimental results demonstrate that driven by an electron beam of high voltage and high current, HOAMs are successfully excited in a long cylindrical cavity. By tuning the operating magnetic field, a mode transition between the first four axial modes was experimentally observed with a stepwise frequency tuning range of 0.79 GHz around 219 GHz, while a 0.58-GHz frequency tuning range via beam voltage tuning by operating in the first three axial modes. During the process of frequency tuning, the output power was kept not less than 0.45 kW, while the maximum output power was 3.80 kW with an output efficiency of 6%. These experimental results of mode transition and mode competition between axial modes in high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron could be beneficial for the development of frequency-tunable gyrotron toward some up-and-coming novel THz applications.

A Compact Neutron Source for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

We propose a neutron generator scheme based on a high-current ion source with electron cyclotron resonance plasma heating by high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron radiation. The most promising application of this neutron generator is a medical one, namely, boron neutron capture therapy of oncological diseases. A possibility for using a multi-aperture extraction system for high-current ion beam generation to increase the total current is studied. It is shown that the parameters of the plasma flow leaving a magnetic trap permit the effective use of multi-aperture systems without a significant loss in the ion beam current density. Thus, the use of multi-aperture systems in the ion source of a neutron generator can significantly increase the total neutron yield.

Emittance of short-pulsed high-current ion beams formed from the plasma of the electron cyclotron resonance discharge sustained by high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron radiation

We present experimental results on measuring the emittance of short-pulsed (≤100 μs) high-current (80-100 mA) ion beams of heavy gases (Nitrogen, Argon) formed from a dense plasma of an ECR source of multiply charged ions (MCI) with quasi-gas-dynamic mode of plasma confinement in a magnetic trap of simple mirror configuration. The discharge was created by a high-power (90 kW) pulsed radiation of a 37.5-GHz gyrotron. The normalized emittance of generated ion beams of 100 mA current was (1.2-1.3) π mm mrad (70% of ions in the beams). Comparing these results with those obtained using a cusp magnetic trap, it was concluded that the structure of the trap magnetic field lines does not exert a decisive influence on the emittance of ion beams in the gas-dynamic ECR source of MCI.

Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of a 30-GHz Gyrotron Resonator With an Explicit High-Order Discontinuous-Galerkin-Based Parallel Particle-In-Cell Method

Fast design codes for the simulation of the particle–field interaction in the interior of gyrotron resonators are available. They procure their rapidity by making strong physical simplifications and approximations, which are not known to be valid for many variations of the geometry and the operating setup. For the first time, we apply a fully electromagnetic (EM) transient 3-D high-order discontinuous Galerkin particle-in-cell method solving the complete self-consistent nonlinear Vlasov–Maxwell equations to simulate a 30-GHz high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron resonator without physical reductions. This is a computational expensive endeavor, which requires today's high-performance computing capacity. However, this enables a detailed analysis of the EM field, the excited <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$\hbox{TE}_{2, 3}$</tex></formula> mode, the frequencies, and the azimuthal particle bunching in the beam. Therefrom, we present new insights into the complex particle–field interaction of the electron cyclotron maser instability transferring kinetic energy from the electron beam to the EM field.

Generation of a high-current beam of multiply charged ions from a dense plasma produced by high-power millimeter-wave gyrotron radiation under ECR conditions

Experimental data for generating intense beams of multiply charged heavy gas ions are reported. The beams are extracted from the dense plasma of an ECR discharge with quasi-gasdynamic confinement provided by the powerful microwave radiation of a gyrotron in a magnetic trap. The axisymmetric magnetic trap makes it possible to extract uniform (in transverse coordinates) plasma fluxes from it, and the use of a multiple-aperture extraction system makes it possible to increase the beam current by more than an order of magnitude compared with the ECP sources currently available. Multiply charged nitrogen ion beams with a current of 150 mA and a normalized emittance of 0.9π mm mrad are obtained.