Gyrotron Physics Basics

The frequency at which an electron revolves around a magnetic field line.

The ratio of the total relativistic energy to the rest energy of a particle.

The radius of the circular path an electron follows due to its interaction with a magnetic field.

The radius of the guiding center of an electron's trajectory within a magnetic field.

The frequency of an electron beam interacting with an electromagnetic wave in a cavity.

A type of vacuum tube that generates high-power electromagnetic radiation in the microwave and millimeter-wave frequency range by exploiting the cyclotron resonance of electrons in a magnetic field.

A phenomenon where electrons in a strong magnetic field absorb or emit energy at specific frequencies, determined by their rotation rate.

The electromagnetic radiation produced by a gyrotron, used for heating plasmas in fusion research, driving nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and other applications.

A technique using gyrotrons to heat plasma in fusion reactors, aiming to create a self-sustaining fusion reaction.

A technique using gyrotrons to control the current in a plasma, aiming to improve efficiency and stability in fusion reactors.

The strength of the electric field is the same in the parallel direction to the magnetic field.

The strength of the electric field decreases perpendicular to the magnetic field.

The wave inside a resonant cavity is characterized by a transverse profile (m,p) and a longitudinal profile (q).

The resonance interaction occurs when the energy of the electromagnetic wave matches the energy difference between two electron energy levels.

The frequency of the electromagnetic wave in the cavity stays constant despite changes in the electron's velocity.

The electrons gain or lose energy depending on the relative phase between their gyromotion and the electromagnetic field.

The process of grouping electrons together based on their phase relationship with the electromagnetic wave.

The electron's energy change is directly related to the interaction with the perpendicular component of the electric field.

The frequency at which an electron revolves around magnetic field lines in a cyclotron. This frequency changes depending on the electron's energy due to relativistic effects.

A type of instability that occurs in an electron beam when electrons with higher energy rotate slower, and electrons with lower energy rotate faster, leading to bunching of electrons.

In this interaction, the gyrotron's oscillating electric field only extracts energy from the perpendicular component of the electrons' motion, not from the parallel component. This means variations in the electrons' parallel velocities have a minimal impact on the efficiency.

The gyrotron interaction has a strong dependence on the spread (variation) of electrons' energies. To have a high efficiency, the electrons need to have a very narrow range of energies.

The gyrotron interaction has a fairly weak dependence on the electrons' spread (variation) in their parallel velocities, meaning variations in the velocities along the magnetic field lines don't significantly affect the process.

A type of electromagnetic waveguide with a rectangular cross-section which supports only one specific mode (TE10) of electromagnetic wave propagation.

A gyrotron that uses a waveguide with many different modes of electromagnetic wave propagation. These systems are complex and often require specialized numerical modeling due to the multitude of potential wave interactions.

Highly complex numerical simulations are needed in order to model and analyze the behavior of overmoded gyrotrons because they have a multitude of possible wave interactions. These simulations allow researchers to understand and predict the performance of these complex devices.