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This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 28 January 2010, surveys pulsed high-power microwave (HPM) source technology. It was produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program. It covers insulation, cathode materials, high-voltage switching, pulse generators, microwave sources such as magnetrons, gyrotrons and the Phoenix and Jolt sources, and antennas. The document concludes that progress depends on advances in cathodes, switching and insulation. It says compact ultrawideband antennas will remain difficult to build.
“The Advance”5 pages
UNCLASSIFIED/ /PS"-. 9PPl!ltllt t!l91!! 9HLY Conclusion This paper provided an overview of the current state of HPM sources and the technologies driving their development. Advanced cathode materials, computer codes for more predictive ability in electron beam generation and propagation, high-speed switching at high power, and low-loss insulation techniques are just a few of the areas where advancement clearly is needed for progress to occur. Advancements in photoconductive solid-state (PCSS) and other solid-state switching and sharpening devices appear to finally be reaching a level of development such that they may soon be of use in high-voltage systems. If PCSS switching devices capable of higher operating voltage and extended lifetime are made available, variations of the phased array will become the HPM source design of choice, given the inherent advantages. More compact antennas are greatly desired; however, the physics of the radiation process requires structure sizes on the order of one-half wavelength of the lowest radiated frequency. With demanding levels of directivity and gain also requirements, compact UWB antenna designs will continue to be difficult, if not impossible, to realize. 29 UNCLASSIFIED/ ,u;oAt OFFIGIPk IP&'i Ollk¥
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 37 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.