Multivircator as a New Highly Effective Microwave Generator With Multiple Virtual Cathodes: Concept and PIC-Simulation

This article presents the concept of multivircators, in which a chain of virtual cathodes (VCs) is formed in two counter-streaming electron beams (exceeding the space charge limit) that generate microwave radiation. Up to ten VCs were observed in a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of this two-beam instability. It is predicted that the efficiency of microwave generation in a multivircator at a certain time interval can reach 50%.