Simulations and Experiments on Magnetically Insulated Line Oscillators at the University of Michigan

The magnetically insulated line oscillator (MILO) is a compact source of high power microwaves (HPM) that creates a self-generated magnetic field for crossed field interaction. At the University of Michigan, multiple efforts in simulation and experiment are underway to improve MILO operation in different ways. A new pulsed power test bed BLUE (Bestowed LTD from the Ursa-Minor Experiment) is under development, capable of generating different output voltages. BLUE will be used to drive a GW-class MILO, testing operation at various injected voltages. Simulations of the MILO in CST-Particle Studio have demonstrated accurate predictions of output power and current across a range of input voltages that BLUE is projected to generate. Investigations in simulation and experiment of a planar MILO are also underway. A planar MILO could enable operation at higher efficiencies than possible in the more conventional cylindrical geometry.