Axially-Dependent Equilibrium of an Unneutralized Electron Beam in an Axial Magnetic Field,

Abstract

Virtual cathode formation in vacuum-propagating beams may be more widespread than previously recognized. The spin death of parallel beam energy by E sub r x B sub z rotation in front of a density pileup, may assist or steepen the axial density gradient, since the rotation speed tends toward Brillouin flow, omega = omega sub c/2. It may be that the propagation limit (on the beam density) is not omega-squared sub p approx. equal omega-squared sub c in the applied or total magnetic field, but rather omega-squared sub p max (in the presence of self-field pileup) small enough that cE sub r/B sub z <V sub 0 (V sub 0 = beam electron speed), with E sub r given self-consistently from the charge distribution. In what follows, self-consistent BGK-like axially dependent equilibria will be described, in which the space charge effects determine the axial extent and profile of the beam. Generalization to axially nonuniform magnetic fields is relatively straightforward. Sections III and IV treat the problem in a purely one-dimensional way, keeping the electrostatic effects of E sub z electric fields but not the effects of beam rotation caused by E sub r. Section V generalizes these results to include E sub r.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA070592

Entities

People

  • J. Guillory

Organizations

  • University of Maryland

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Beams
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Electrostatic Fields
  • Equations
  • Instability
  • Low Density
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Moments
  • Momentum
  • Particles
  • Physics
  • Rotation
  • Space Charge
  • Steady State

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster