Thursday, July 1

Klystron is a Microwave Generator

Klystron is a Microwave Generator

cutaway view of a magnetron from a microwave oven - about 4 inches squareCompare SLAC's large, high-power microwave generator (klystron - below) with this much smaller one (magnetron - right) from a typical microwave oven.


A klystron looks and works something like an organ pipe.
Organ pipe
Organ Pipe
In an organ pipe:
  • Blowing into the organ pipe produces a flow of air.
  • Flowing air excites vibrations in the cavity of the whistle.
  • The vibrations flow into the surrounding air as sound waves.
In a klystron:
  • The electron gun (1) produces a flow of electrons.
  • The bunching cavities (2) regulate the speed of the electrons so that they arrive in bunches at the output cavity.
  • The bunches of electrons excite microwaves in the output cavity (3) of the klystron.
  • The microwaves flow into the waveguide (4), which transports them to the accelerator.
  • The electrons are absorbed in the beam stop.(5) 
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  • Source:http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/accelerators/klystron.html
A Klystron