Electron Population Analysis Techniques for Understanding Fundamental Cross-Field Electron Device Physics

Two techniques have been developed to analyze and visualize electron populations in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. One generates normalized probability distributions of the electron population’s position and velocity and shows the changes in these distributions over time. The second generates radial and azimuthal breadth ratios of the electron population. In the magnetron studied, these ratios quantify the electron population’s internal support for charge transfer and the level of cycloidal motion of the electron population. These techniques reveal information not seen in conventional electron distribution and history plots, including insights into magnetron startup.