Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1997

Abstract

Work at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has demonstrated how finite length effects in a high power vacuum backward wave oscillator (BWO) can be exploited to achieve frequency agility for constant beam and magnetic field parameters. This enhanced bandwidth is obtained through the axial displacement of the slow wave structure with respect to the cutoff neck "inlet" to the electrodynamic system. This paper describes progress on the implementation of this automatic displacement to facilitate the incorporation of a robust controller, as proposed by Abdallah, et al. (1996). The purpose of this controller is to demonstrate a "smart tube" where a variety of objectives, such as (i) maximizing the frequency bandwidth for a given constant power output, (ii) maximizing the radiated peak power at a given frequency, or (iii) maximizing the beam-to-microwave power conversion efficiency, can be achieved automatically.

Publisher

IEEE

Publication Title

1997 11th IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference

ISSN

0-7803-4213-5

First Page

742

Last Page

746

DOI

10.1109/PPC.1997.679452

Language (ISO)

English

Sponsorship

IEEE

Keywords

Bandwidth, Cathodes, Displacement control, backward wave oscillators

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