High power breakdown testing of a photonic band-gap accelerator structure with elliptical rods

An improved single-cell photonic band-gap (PBG) structure with an inner row of elliptical rods (PBG-E) was tested with high power at a 60 Hz repetition rate at X-band (11.424 GHz), achieving a gradient of 128  MV/m at a breakdown probability of 3.6×10-3 per pulse per meter at a pulse length of 150 ns. The tested standing-wave structure was a single high-gradient cell with an inner row of elliptical rods and an outer row of round rods; the elliptical rods reduce the peak surface magnetic field by 20% and reduce the temperature rise of the rods during the pulse by several tens of degrees, while maintaining good damping and suppression of high order modes. When compared with a single-cell standing-wave undamped disk-loaded waveguide structure with the same iris geometry under test at the same conditions, the PBG-E structure yielded the same breakdown rate within measurement error. The PBG-E structure showed a greatly reduced breakdown rate compared with earlier tests of a PBG structure with round rods, presumably due to the reduced magnetic fields at the elliptical rods vs the fields at the round rods, as well as use of an improved testing methodology. A post-testing autopsy of the PBG-E structure showed some damage on the surfaces exposed to the highest surface magnetic and electric fields. Despite these changes in surface appearance, no significant change in the breakdown rate was observed in testing. These results demonstrate that PBG structures, when designed with reduced surface magnetic fields and operated to avoid extremely high pulsed heating, can operate at breakdown probabilities comparable to undamped disk-loaded waveguide structures and are thus viable for high-gradient accelerator applications.United States. Dept. of Energy. High Energy Physics Division (Contract DEFG02-91ER40648

physics/0008177 2D Simulation of High-Efficiency Cross-Field RF Power Sources

In a cross field device[1] such as magnetron or cross field amplifier electrons move in crossed magnetic and electric fields. Due to synchronism between electron drift velocity and phase velocity of RF wave, the wave bunches the beam

HIGH POWER S-BAND WINDOW OPTIMIZED TO MINIMIZE ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELD ON THE SURFACE*

RF windows are used to separate vacuum from atmosphere in high power microwave systems, such as klystrons. RF breakdowns in these megawatt power environments could damage the window. An S-band RF window was designed to have reduced electric and magnetic field in the waveguide joints and the ceramic. Specifically the electric field on the ceramic was minimized and a traveling wave was created inside the ceramic by optimizing the shape of the window and the geometry of the joint between the circular waveguide to the rectangular waveguide. A prototype of this window is being made at SLAC for high power tests

Dispersion and energy compensation in high-gradient linacs for lepton colliders

The shape of an rf pulse is distorted due to dispersion encountered in acceleration through traveling-wave linear accelerator structures. Simulations are made to ascertain the severity of this distortion in cavities designed to operate at various group velocities. The pulse suffers maximum degradation when propagated through accelerating cavities with a phase advance per cell in the vicinity of π, where the group velocity reaches its minimum value. Several cavities are simulated to study the pulse distortion and compared with experiments performed on a high phase advance structure H60VG3, which has a phase advance of 5π/6 per cell. A circuit model and a mode matching code are used to perform these simulations on accelerating structures consisting of multiple cells. Beam loading is taken into account and the implications on energy dispersion are also analyzed. Means of mitigating for this energy deviation are discussed

X-band photonic band-gap accelerator structure breakdown experiment

In order to understand the performance of photonic band-gap (PBG) structures under realistic high gradient, high power, high repetition rate operation, a PBG accelerator structure was designed and tested at X band (11.424 GHz). The structure consisted of a single test cell with matching cells before and after the structure. The design followed principles previously established in testing a series of conventional pillbox structures. The PBG structure was tested at an accelerating gradient of 65  MV/m yielding a breakdown rate of two breakdowns per hour at 60 Hz. An accelerating gradient above 110  MV/m was demonstrated at a higher breakdown rate. Significant pulsed heating occurred on the surface of the inner rods of the PBG structure, with a temperature rise of 85 K estimated when operating in 100 ns pulses at a gradient of 100  MV/m and a surface magnetic field of 890  kA/m. A temperature rise of up to 250 K was estimated for some shots. The iris surfaces, the location of peak electric field, surprisingly had no damage, but the inner rods, the location of the peak magnetic fields and a large temperature rise, had significant damage. Breakdown in accelerator structures is generally understood in terms of electric field effects. These PBG structure results highlight the unexpected role of magnetic fields in breakdown. The hypothesis is presented that the moderate level electric field on the inner rods, about 14  MV/m, is enhanced at small tips and projections caused by pulsed heating, leading to breakdown. Future PBG structures should be built to minimize pulsed surface heating and temperature rise

X-Band Photonic Band-Gap Accelerator Structure Breakdown Experiment

In order to understand the performance of photonic band-gap (PBG) structures under realistic high gradient, high power, high repetition rate operation, a PBG accelerator structure was designed and tested at X band (11.424 GHz). The structure consisted of a single test cell with matching cells before and after the structure. The design followed principles previously established in testing a series of conventional pillbox structures. The PBG structure was tested at an accelerating gradient of 65 MV/m yielding a breakdown rate of two breakdowns per hour at 60 Hz. An accelerating gradient above 110 MV/m was demonstrated at a higher breakdown rate. Significant pulsed heating occurred on the surface of the inner rods of the PBG structure, with a temperature rise of 85 K estimated when operating in 100 ns pulses at a gradient of 100 MV/m and a surface magnetic field of 890 kA/m. A temperature rise of up to 250 K was estimated for some shots. The iris surfaces, the location of peak electric field, surprisingly had no damage, but the inner rods, the location of the peak magnetic fields and a large temperature rise, had significant damage. Breakdown in accelerator structures is generally understood in terms of electric field effects. These PBG structure results highlight the unexpected role of magnetic fields in breakdown. The hypothesis is presented that the moderate level electric field on the inner rods, about 14 MV/m, is enhanced at small tips and projections caused by pulsed heating, leading to breakdown. Future PBG structures should be built to minimize pulsed surface heating and temperature rise