Simulations of Magnetic Priming in a Relativistic Magnetron.

Two-dimensional simulations have been performed on a six-vane relativistic magnetron with uniform axial magnetic fields versus azimuthally varying axial magnetic fields, defined as magnetic priming. Electron phase-space plots show rapid growth of the π-mode when the axial magnetic field has three-azimuthal perturbations: it takes 36 ns for the π-mode to dominate in the uniform magnetic field case versus only 13 us for the π-mode to dominate in the case with magnetic priming imposed. Rf electric field plots versus time show the suppression of the 2π/3-mode when magnetic priming is imposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]