Radiation Spectrum of an Electron Cyclotron Maser

Abstract

We consider generation of electromagnetic radiation at the electron cyclotron harmonics by energetic-electron beams having the mean momentum parallel, transverse, or oblique to the external magnetic field. This process is most efficient if the characteristic transverse momentum is sufficiently large. The radiation spectrum of the beam moving exactly along the magnetic field is closest to the equidistant one. The angle between the direction of the maximum emission and the magnetic field varies from 70^° for the field-aligned beam to 90^° for the beam whose characteristic momentum is transverse to the magnetic field. In fairly strong magnetic fields, i.e., for ω_Be >ω_pe, where ω_Be and ω_pe are the electron cyclotron and plasma frequencies, respectively, the radiation is maximum at low cyclotron harmonics and the second harmonic dominates. In the weaker fields (ω_Be < ω_pe), higher harmonics, up to fifth or sixth, are generated. Both wave modes are generated, but generation of the ordinary waves is far less efficient than that of the extraordinary waves under the same conditions.