High Power Microwaves

Preface
During the last decade, there have been many advances and achievements in the generation of High-Power Microwaves (HPM) in relativistic magnetrons, backward oscillators, magnetically insulated transmission line oscillators, nonlinear transmission lines and microwave compressors. Many of these sources that are being developed are derivatives of sources that are well known to the vacuum electronics community. High-Power Microwaves (HPM) can be used to intentionally disturb or destroy electronic equipment at a distance by inducing high voltages and currents. High-power electromagnetic pulse generation techniques and high-power microwave technology have matured to the point where practical e-bombs (electromagnetic bombs) are becoming technically feasible, with new applications in both strategic and tactical information warfare. The development of conventional e-bomb devices allows their use in nonnuclear confrontations.
This book is intended to provide an introduction to some of the concepts and technologies involved in the development of high-power microwave sources and to describe some of the recent progress in the field. This will include microwave
sources operating in both the high-peak power short-pulse, low-repetition rate and high-average power long-pulse, high-repetition rate or continuous-wave regimes, even though the instantaneous. There has been considerable interest
recently in high power microwave (HPM) sources for nonlethal directed energy weaponry applications. Many of these sources that are being developed are derivatives of sources that are well known to the vacuum electronics community.
The technology that is used to drive such sources has its roots in pulsed power, and a comprehensive understanding of their behavior requires the use of tools that have been developed in the plasma physics community. The ever-increasing
reliance on the use of microprocessors that have increasing density of circuits packaged on a chip makes such systems increasingly vulnerable to HPM.
This collection will provide an overview of HPM sources, their applications, and will highlight areas of intense, ongoing research activity. The book contains chapters covering the transmission of the power through waveguides and the
problems associated with mode conversion in transmission lines. This includes significant updates in every chapter as well as a new chapter on beamless systems that covers nonlinear transmission lines. It presents valuable information on
HPM sources, representing significant enabling technologies, including beam and RF control, cathodes, windows, and computational techniques. Readers will gain insight into proven techniques and solutions that will enhance the source
design. This book will serve as an invaluable resource to graduate and postgraduate students in the field.