The Turbutron

The physics of the turbutron is reviewed. This newly proposed high-power millimeter-wave source consists of an intensely oscillating relativistic turbulent electron plasma created in and beyond the gap of a diode configuration. The diode consists of an explosive cathode emitter and an extended anode structure connected to the inner and outer conductors, respectively, of a high-voltage pulse line under conditions of space-charge saturation. The gap spacing determines the dominant mode of the turbulent longitudinal waves which are directly converted into free transverse waves polarized parallel to the electron beam. The applied voltage waveform, cathode diameter, total scalar potential, nonlinear bunching mechanisms, and virtual-cathode dynamics determine the complex spectral characteristics. For a turbutron with a megavolt pulse across a 3-mm gap and without a resonator, calculations predict the immediate feasibility of gigawatt power levels at 35 GHz.