Simulation of an Axial Vircator

Abstract

An algorithm of particle-in-cell simulations is described and tested to aid further the actual design of simple vircators working on axially symmetric modes. The methods of correction of the numerical solution, have been chosen and jointly tested, allow the stable simulation of the fast nonlinear multiflow dynamics of virtual cathode formation and evolution, as well as the fields generated by the virtual cathode. The selected combination of the correction methods can be straightforwardly generalized to the case of axially nonsymmetric modes, while the parameters of these correction methods can be widely used to improve an agreement between the simulation predictions and the experimental data.