Abstract: This paper reports on the experimental measurement of power threshold levels for the multipactor effect between samples of ferrite material typically used in the practical implementation of L-and S-band circulators and isolators. For this purposes, a new family of wideband, nonreciprocal rectangular waveguide structures loaded with ferrites has been designed with a full-wave electromagnetic simulation tool. The design also includes the required magnetostatic field biasing circuits. The multipactor breakdown power levels have also been predicted with an accurate electron tracking code using measured values for the secondary electron yield (SEY) coefficient. The measured results agree well with simulations, thereby fully validating the experimental campaign.

Abstract: A series of detailed numerical simulations are used to investigate the properties ofmultipactor breakdown in circularwaveguidespropagating the TM01 mode. AMonte Carlo model is constructed to track the motion of the electrons, study the multipactor scenarios, and predict the multipactor thresholds. The theoretical and numerical analyses indicate that the product of the frequency and the gap (f . D) affects both the intensity of the ponderomotive force and its spatial distribution, which results from the nonuniformity of the radio frequency (RF) field and significantly influences the electrons' trajectoriesandmultipactor trends. The decrease in f . D results in a remarkable enhancement in the magnitude of the ponderomotive force, while the maximal intensity gradually moves toward the half radius R/2 area. Low values of f . D correspond to high ponderomotive potential, which sustains the short-range electrons and triggers the single-sidedmultipactor. In contrast, high values of f . D correspond to low ponderomotive potential, contributing to long-range electrons and exciting the double-sided multipactor. Fitting to the susceptibility diagram produces the border line and a modified f . D threshold of (f . D) th approximate to 338.4 GHz mm, which separates the susceptibility diagram into single-sided, double-sided, andmixed-sided zones. The initial electron energy influences their trajectories at high f . D and low RF power. This effect tends to dominate the multipactor behavior in the mixed-sided region.

Abstract: High power radio frequency (RF) breakdown testing is a subject of great relevance in the space industry, due to the increasing need of higher transmission power and smaller devices. This work presents a novel RF breakdown detection system, which monitors the same parameters as the microwave nulling system but with several advantages. Where microwave nulling-a de facto standard in RF breakdown testing-is narrowband and requires continuous tuning to keep its sensitivity, the proposed technique is broadband and maintains its performance for any RF signal. On top of that, defining the detection threshold is cumbersome due to the lack of an international standardized criterion. Small responses may appear in the detection system during the test and, sometimes, it is not possible to determine if these are an actual RF breakdown or random noise. This new detection system uses a larger analysis bandwidth, thus reducing the cases in which a small response is difficult to be classified. The proposed detection method represents a major step forward in high power testing as it runs without human intervention, warning the operator or decreasing the RF power automatically much faster than any human operator.