Nonlinear Interaction between a Warm Electron Beam and a Single Wave

Abstract

We have experimentally observed the growth and saturation of a single wave on a warm-beam, slow-wave-structure system. When the wave growth is sufficiently weak, the time-averaged beam distribution function develops a localized plateau. When the growth is stronger, the entire distribution function can become distorted. The electric field at saturation scales as the square of the linear growth rate of the wave.