Short-pulse high-power microwave propagation in the atmosphere

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Abstract
The propagation of high‐power (10–200 kW/cm2 ) short‐burst (3–30 ns) microwave pulses in the atmosphere has been studied experimentally. Microwave power from a large orbit gyrotron operating at 9.6 GHz is focused by a large‐diameter parabolic reflector into a test cell. The ambient pressure in the test cell was varied over a wide range and the microwave power density necessary for atmospheric breakdown has been determined as a function of ambient pressure and pulse duration. Measurements of the microwave pulse duration before and after breakdown have been obtained to determine the extent to which microwave energy is absorbed or reflected by the breakdown plasma. Results are compared with available theory and previously reported experiments.