Investigation of RF breakdowns on the MILO

Author

Shiffler, Don ; Baca, G. ; Englert, T. ; Haworth, M.D. ; Hendricks, K.J. ; Henley, D. ; Sena, M. ; Spencer, Thomas A.

Author_Institution

Air Force Res. Lab./Philips Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM, USA

Volume

26

Issue

3

fYear

1998

fDate

6/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

304

Lastpage

311

Abstract

Describes a series of experiments performed to isolate the RF breakdown mechanisms in the hard tube magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) Experiment at the Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM. Specifically, several causes of RF breakdown in the region of the vacuum-air interface and the antenna region have been investigated. These causes are X-ray induced electron emission, VUV and visible photoemission of electrons, and breakdown due to large field stresses in the antenna. Each of these mechanisms has the effect of liberating electrons from a surface in a high field region which then are a seed for a breakdown. This paper discusses measurements in the X-ray, VUV, and visible regimes with support from computer simulation. Also, imagery results are shown, which in conjunction with the computer work, point to the presence of high electric field stresses in the antenna, which cause a subsequent breakdown. In particular, X-rays, VUV, visible light, and plasmas do not seem to be the major source of RF breakdown in this tube

Keywords

cathodes; circular waveguides; electric breakdown; microwave antennas; microwave generation; microwave oscillators; microwave tubes; photoemission; secondary electron emission; slow wave structures; vacuum tubes; Air Force Phillips Laboratory; Albuquerque; MILO; RF breakdown; RF breakdown mechanisms; RF breakdowns; VUV photoemission; VUV regimes; X-ray induced electron emission; X-ray regime; antenna region; breakdown; electric field stresses; electron emission; hard tube magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator; high field region; imagery results; large field stresses; plasmas; tube; vacuum-air interface; visible photoemission; visible regime; Electric breakdown; Electron emission; Electron tubes; Insulation; Oscillators; Plasma measurements; Radio frequency; Stress; Vacuum breakdown; X-ray imaging;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/27.700758

Filename

700758