GYROTRON OSCILLATORS ARE PRESENTLY VIEWED AS DEVICES CAPABLEOF FURNISHING THE HIGH POWER CW MILLIMETER WAVES REQUIRED FOR ELECTRON CYCLOTRON RESONANCE HEATING OF FUSION PLASMAS.

GYROTRON OSCILLATORS ARE PRESENTLY VIEWED AS DEVICES CAPABLEOF FURNISHING THE HIGH POWER CW MILLIMETER WAVES REQUIRED FOR ELECTRON CYCLOTRON RESONANCE HEATING OF FUSION PLASMAS. THE REQUIRED SCALING FROM PRESENT 200 KW MSEC PULSED DEVICESLAMBDA = 5MM, TO CW MEGAWATT DEVICES AT LAMBDA = 1-2MM PUTS EXTREME DEMANDS UPON ELECTRON GUN AND COLLECTOR TECHNOLOGY, AND UPON RESONATOR WALL LOADING. THIS PROPOSAL PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE GYROTRON, WHICH AVOIDS THESE DIFFICULTIES, A NOVEL ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT WE CALL THE WIGGLER-FREE FREE ELECTRON LASER. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THIS INTERACTION CAN BE THE BASIS FOR A HIGH POWER TUNABLE MILLIMETER WAVE AMPLIFIER WITH GOOD EFFICIENCYWHICH CAN UTILIZE THE ELECTRON BEAM GENERATED FROM A PIERCE GUN AND ACCELERATED EITHER ELECTROSTATICALLY OR VIA AN INDUCTION LINAC. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IN PHASE I IS TO STUDY MEANS OF EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT FOR THIS INTERACTION, TO SUGGEST QUASI-OPTICAL DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR GUIDING THE THE INTENSE RADIATION, TO CONSIDER OPTIMAL MEANS TO TAILOR THE ELECTRON BEAM'S SPIRAL TRAJECTORIES WITH DUE ACCOUNT FOR EMMITANCE LIMITATIONS, AND TO SET CRITERIA FOR THE EVOLUTION OF PRACTICAL ENGINEERING DESIGNS FOR REALIZATION OF ACTUAL AMPLIFIERS BASED ON THIS CONCEPT.