| Popis: |
Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop submillimeter‐wave backward wave oscillators (BWOs) for spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres, nebulas, and comets. Recently, applications related to detection of biological, chemical, and explosive agents have been identified. Submillimeter‐wave sources are also wanted for high resolution imaging. The program is tasked with developing improved BWOs operating at higher efficiency with improved mode purity and reduced weight over currently available sources. A major goal is to eliminate requirements for water cooling by including a depressed collector. The first prototype was built and tested at NASA in November 2004. While the depressed collector performance exceeded expectations, the device failed to produce RF power, Subsequent analysis indicated that the cathode surface was damaged and the cathode was misaligned with the circuit. The second prototype is addressing these issues and is currently being assembled. This paper describes the design, first prototype test and analysis, and the modifications implemented for the second prototype. |
