Promising source of high-power broadband microwave pulses with radiation frequency variable up to two octaves

Abstract

Using a numerical model, we propose a source of microwave pulses, based on the interaction of a high-current relativistic electron beam with plasma. The source is an intrinsic noise amplifier with a pulse duration shorter than 3 ns, which does not permit the emergence of feedback and self-excited generation. The wave gain factor depending on the plasma concentration makes it possible to control the radiation frequency in the range 4–17 GHz, within which a spectral width of ∼2 GHz, a power of ∼150 MW, and an energy efficiency up to 15% are preserved. The possibility of using the available small-size source of high-voltage pulses with a high repetition rate is considered.