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TUBES) - MAGNETRONS
DR.S.GOPINATH
Introduction
In linear beam tubes like Klystron or Travelling wave tube
(TWT) , the dc Magnetic field parallel to the dc Electric field
is used to focus the electron beam .
Crossed-field tubes derive their name from the fact that the dc
magnetic field is perpendicular to the dc electric field . In this
tubes, the dc magnetic field plays a direct role in the RF
interaction process.
These tubes are also called M-Type tubes.
In a crossed-field tube, the electrons emitted by the cathode are
accelerated by the electric field and gain velocity , but the greater
their velocity , the more their path is bent by the magnetic field.
Cross-Field Effect:
In a crossed-field tube, the electrons emitted by the cathode are
accelerated by the electric field and gain velocity , but the greater their
velocity , the more their path is bent by the magnetic field.
If an RF field is applied to the circuit , those electrons entering the circuit
during retarding field are decelerated and give up some of their kinetic
energy to the RF field. Consequently , their velocity is decreased and
these slower electrons will then travel the dc electric field far enough to
regain essentially the same velocity as before.
Because of crossed-field interactions, only those electrons that have given
up sufficient energy to the RF field can travel all the way to the anode.
This phenomenon would make the M-type devices relatively efficient.
Those electrons entering the circuit during the accelerating field are
accelerated by means of receiving enough energy from the RF field and
are returned back towards the cathode. This back bombardment of the
cathode produces heat in the cathode and decreases the operational
efficiency.
Magnetron Oscillators
Hull invented magnetron, but it was only on interesting laboratory
device.
During the world war II an urgent need for high power microwave
generators for RADAR transmitters led to the rapid development of
Magnetron
Magnetrons provide microwave oscillations of very high frequency
All magnetrons consists of some form of anode & cathode operated
in dc Magnetic field between cathode & anode.
Because of cross field between cathode & anode , the electrons
emitted from cathode are influenced by the cross field to move in a
curved path.
If the dc magnetic field is strong enough the electrons will not arrive
at in the anode but return to the cathode, consequently anode current
is cutoff.
.
Cylindrical Magnetrons
Cylindrical magnetron Oscillator is also called as conventional
Magnetron.
In a cylindrical magnetron , several reentrant cavities are connected
to the gaps and hence some times called as Cavity Magnetron.
Schematic diagram illustrating the major elements of the
magnetron oscillator is shown below ,
Construction:
Each cavity in the anode acts as an inductor having only one turn and the
slot connecting the cavity and the interaction space acts as a capacitor.
These two form a parallel resonant circuit and its resonant frequency
depends on the value of L of the cavity and the C of the slot.
The frequency of the microwaves generated by the magnetron oscillator
depends on the frequency of the RF oscillations existing in the resonant
cavities. Cross sectional view of anode assembly can be viewed as,
Working principle:
Magnetron is a cross field device as the electric field between the
anode and the cathode is radial whereas the magnetic field
produced by a permanent magnet is axial.
A high dc potential can be applied between the cathode and anode
which produces the radial electric field.
Depending on the relative strengths of the electric and magnetic
fields, the electrons emitted from the cathode and moving towards
the anode will traverse through the interaction space.
In the absence of magnetic field (B = 0), the electron travel
straight from the cathode to the anode due to the radial electric
field force acting on it as given by the path a in the following
figure.
If the magnetic field strength is increased slightly, the lateral force
bending the path of the electron as given by the path b in the
following figure.
The radius of the path is given by, if the strength of the magnetic
field is made sufficiently high , then the electrons can be
prevented from reaching the anode as indicated path c in figure
shown below.
The magnetic field required to return electrons back to the
cathode just grazing the surface of the anode is called the critical
magnetic field (Bc) or the cut-off magnetic field.
If the magnetic field is larger than the critical field (B > Bc), the
electron experiences a greater rotational force and may return
back to the cathode quite faster.
The various motion of electrons in the presence of different
magnitudes of magnetic field can be viewed in the following
figures,