A Statistical Approach to the Space-Charge Distribution in a Cut-Off Magnetron

Abstract

When the anode potential of a nonoscillating magnetron is lower than the cut-off potential, the discrete electron-to-electron interaction has an effect on the space-charge distribution which would be negligible if only resulting in fluctuations about a known steady state. However the states proposed by Brillouin, Slater, and others are not steady states in this sense. The electron interaction must, therefore, be expected to produce a steady drift away from such initial states. This paper discusses qualitatively the final steady state to be expected and its dependence on the ratio of anode voltage to cut-off voltage. Because of the involved nature of the electron distribution function no attempt is made to calculate the space-charge distribution explicitly.