Simulations of High Power High Efficiency Sources for Mobile Ionospheric Heating

The ionosphere plays a prominent role in the performance of critical civilian and military communication systems. The properties of the ionosphere can be modified by Ionospheric Modification (IM). The key instrument in IM research is a powerful, ground-based, High Frequency (HF) source of electromagnetic waves known as a heater. Existing heaters operate with large, fixed location antenna arrays. With a mobile heater, investigators would be able to conduct IM research at different latitudes without building a costly permanent installation. A mobile heater for ionospheric modification studies will require a new megawatt class RF source. Our design incorporates a grid-less electron gun in which the beam is turned on and off by a mod-anode in class-D mode [1].