US 4,395,684 AGranted

R.F. Primed plasma limiter for radar receiver protector

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

InventorsHarry Goldie, Suman D. Patel

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Abstract

The plasma switching stage of a radar receiver protector is simplified and improved by the utilization of a halogen gas filled quartz container and a "keepalive" electron source. The container is configured as a capillary stem filled with low pressure chlorine gas and provides the active switching element in the signal waveguide portion of the receiver protector. An enclosed r.f. energy source in combination with the capillary stem creates a copious and steady free electron supply. The r.f. exciting field used to activate the "keepalive" plasma is enhanced by a coaxial re-entrant cavity located on the top wall of the receiver protector waveguide.

Claims5

Dependent claims

In a radar receiver protector having a microwave transmission line for transmitting and receiving radar signals the improvement residing in an r.f. primed plasma limiter, said r.f. primed plasma limiter comprising

an r.f. re-entrant cavity mounted on the exterior surface of said microwave transmission line,
means for establishing an r.f. electric field in said re-entrant cavity, and
a container filled with halogen gas inserted through said re-entrant cavity and into said microwave transmission line, whereby interaction of said r.f. electric field and said halogen gas generates a continuous supply of electrons in said halogen gas, said electrons diffusing from the re-entry cavity region to the microwave transmission line region and enabling plasma breakdown of said halogen gas in response to radar signal pulses propagating through said transmission line.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.