Comparisons between simulation and experiment on a coaxial vircator high-power microwave system

The coaxial virtual cathode oscillator (vircator) is an attempt to improve on the efficiency of the standard planar vircator. In a coaxial vircator, the cathode is a cylinder with a cold field emission treatment on the inside surface. The anode is a concentric cylinder placed inside the cathode. Electrons are accelerated in an inward radial direction and, after passing through the anode, form an oscillating space-charge cloud inside the anode.