Multiple Beam Electron Gun for High Power Amplifier

"The goal of this program is to develop a multiple beam electron gun that canbe used to power a new class of multiple beam klystron amplifiers. This gunwill be designed specifically to meet the stringent requirements of theseamplifiers, which will enable them to achieve the increased bandwidth,higher power, and lower phase noise demanded of future radar andcommunications systems. During Phase I, an 8-beam gun was designed usingstate-of-the-art electromagnetic design codes, including the 3-D electrongun code, MICHELLE. Emission current density was kept below ten amperes persquare centimeter, which is important for long operational lifetime. The gunoperates at 45 kilovolts and up to 35 amperes and produces well collimatedand highly laminar beams. The gun will be fabricated and tested during PhaseII.BENEFITS: The multiple beam gun is the key enabling technology for a new class of powerful microwave amplifiers that are needed for next generation radar and communications systems. These amplifiers will provide improved target discrimination, greaterengagement ranges, improved bad-weather performance, higher data rates, and a more compact package for integration on smaller platforms. Thus, these amplifiers will find extensive use for both military and civilian applications."