RF tubes for space-based accelerators

The authors analyze and classify high-power RF tubes for possible application to space-borne linear accelerators at frequencies of 425, 850 and 1700 MHz. Devices considered include relatively conventional tubes such as klystrons, klystrodes, magnetrons and crossed-field amplifiers; various novel devices such as the trirotron, timatron, lasertron and gigatron; Soviet accelerator tubes (the martotron, gyrocon and magnicon); the peniotron; and the resnatron. Primary factors considered in analyzing the devices were accelerator compatibility, weight, and efficiency. In addition, problems of thermal management, regulation, pulsing and operating voltage were addressed. Several suggestions, recommendations and results generated during the study are included