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Study of the Multipactor Effect in Ridge Gap Waveguide Technology Abstract:
Multipactor is an undesired high-power effect that frequently occurs under high-vacuum conditions in microwave and millimeter-wave components. These components are used in a wide range of different scenarios, such as satellite communication payloads, traveling-wave tubes, as well as particle accelerators. When in a high-vacuum environment, the free electrons, that are inside the device, are accelerated by the electromagnetic fields operating at radio frequency (RF), and they impact against the metallic walls. Then, more secondary electrons are released, giving rise to an avalanche of electrons, and producing a resonant discharge inside the affected component with many adverse consequences. Among them, we find detuning of resonant cavities, power dissipation, a significant increase of noise in communication systems, and even physical damage in the component involved. While multipactor susceptibility has been extensively studied in conventional waveguides, its impact on other guided technologies, such as Ridge Gap Waveguides (RGWs), remains largely unexplored. |