We present results of the investigation of different types of cathodes operating in an electron diode powered by a high-voltage generator (300 kV, 250 ns, 84 Ω, ⩽5 Hz). The cathodes which have the same emitting area of 100 cm2 are made of metal–ceramic, carbon fibers, carbon fabric, velvet, or corduroy. We also tested carbon fibers and carbon fabric cathodes coated by CsI. It was shown that for all types of cathodes the electron emission occurs from the plasma which is formed as a result of a flashover of separate emitting centers. The amount of the emitting centers and the time delay in the electron emission were found to depend strongly on the accelerating electric field growth rate. Experimental data concerning the uniformity of the light emission from the cathode surface and divergence of the generated electron beams are presented. Data related to the general parameters of the diode, namely its impedance, power, and energy are given as well. For all the cathodes investigated the observed diode impedance indicated the existence of a quasistationary cathode plasma boundary for electron current density ⩽20 A/cm2. We present the dependencies of the average emitted electron current density and of the time delay in the electron emission on the number of generator shots. We also present data of the vacuum deterioration as a result of the tested cathodes operation. The obtained data are discussed within the framework of plasma formation as a result of cathode surface flashover.

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This article describes the principles of operation and the parameters of the SINUS setups designed at the Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Science, over the period from 1990 to 2002. A characteristic feature of accelerators of the SINUS type is the use of coaxial forming lines (in particular, with a spiral central conductor) which are charged by a built-in Tesla transformer to produce the accelerating high-voltage pulses. This ensures a reasonable compactness and long lifetime of the setups.

We demonstrate a high power repetitive rf source using gyromagnetic nonlinear transmission line to produce rf oscillations. Saturated NiZn ferrites act as active nonlinear medium first sharpening the pumping high voltage nanosecond pulse and then radiating at central frequency of about 1 GHz: shock rise time excites gyromagnetic precession in ferrites forming damping rf oscillations. The optimal length of nonlinear transmission line was found to be of about 1 m. SINUS-200 high voltage driver with Tesla transformer incorporated into pulse forming line has been designed and fabricated to produce bursts of 1000 pulses with 200 Hz repetition rate. A band-pass filter and mode-converter have been designed to extract rf pulse from low-frequency component and to form TE(11) mode of circular waveguide with linear polarization. A wide-band horn antenna has been fabricated to form Gaussian distribution of radiation pattern. The peak value of electric field strength of a radiated pulse at the distance of 3.5 m away from antenna is measured to be 160 kV/m. The corresponding rf peak power of 260 MW was achieved.

We demonstrate electronically controlled beam steering by high power RF pulses produced by two gyromagnetic nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) connected to a one high voltage driver. Each NLTL is capable of producing several ns RF pulses with peak power from 50 to 700 MW (6% standard deviation) at frequencies from 0.5 to 1.7 GHz (1% standard deviation) with 100 Hz repetition rate. Using a helix antenna allows irradiating of RF pulses with almost circular polarization and 350 MW maximum peak power, which corresponds to 350 kV effective potential of radiation. At the installation of two identical channels, we demonstrate the possibility of beam steering within ±15° in the horizontal plane by coherent RF pulses with circular polarization at 1.0 GHz center frequency. Fourfold increase in the power flux density for in-phase irradiation of RF pulses is confirmed by comparison with one-channel operation.