Investigation of fully three-dimensional helical RF field effects on TWT beam/circuit interaction

A fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, helical traveling-wave tube (TWT) interaction model has been developed using the electromagnetic particle-in-cell code MAFIA. The model includes a short section of helical slow-wave circuit with excitation fed by RF input/output couplers, and electron beam contained by periodic permanent magnet focusing. All components of the model are simulated in three dimensions allowing the effects of the fully 3D helical fields on RF circuit/beam interaction to be investigated for the first time. The development of the interaction model is presented, and predicted TWT performance using 2.5D and 3D models is compared to investigate the effect of conventional approximations used in TWT analysis.