Computer simulations of a reflex triode

Summary Form only given, as follows. A reflex triode can achieve a low-impedance state with higher current and lower voltage than an ordinary diode with the same anode-cathode spacing. Because its lower impedance is the result of reflexing electrons, it is possible to switch between low- and high-impedance states by altering the electron population. The authors have built a special-purpose computer code to study the details of the reflex triode in one dimension. The code combines a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation with Monte Carlo scattering of electrons in a foil anode. These two modules are integrated self-consistently with the circuit equations. They have carried out simulations of a reflex triode as it approaches the low-impedance conduction phase. The simulations show evidence of vircator-like oscillations as well as a Pierce-type instability in certain parameter regimes. This instability violently disrupts the current in some cases.<>