Effect of background plasma on electromagnetic properties of coaxial gyrotron cavity
We analyze the effect of the background plasma on the electromagnetic properties of coaxial resonators with a smooth and a corrugated inner conductors used in high-power gyrotrons. It is shown that the plasma produces different effects on the modes with different signs of the azimuthal index, leading to a decrease or an increase in the resonance frequencies. A modification of the distributions of electromagnetic fields and the electromagnetic energy density by the background plasma occurs in such a way that Ohmic losses decrease both on the inner and on the outer conductors. In the case of a smooth inner conductor, this is due to a decrease in the field strengths on the surface of the conductors. If the inner conductor is corrugated, the background plasma leads to an increase in the field strengths on its surface. Nevertheless, the relative Ohmic loss power decreases due to an increase in the energy density in the resonator (which is also caused by the background plasma). Calculations were mainly performed for a coaxial resonator of a gyrotron operating on the TE34.19 mode (Karlsruhe, Germany).