High Power Microwaves

by James Benford, John A. Swegle, Edl Schamiloglu

The first edition of High Power Microwaves was considered to be the defining book for this field. Not merely updated but completely revised and rewritten, the second edition continues this tradition. Written from a systems perspective, the book provides a unified, coherent presentation of the fundamentals in this rapidly changing field. The presentation is broad and introductory, with the flavor of a survey, yet not elementary. The authors cover all the major types of microwave sources, their distinguishing features, and primary research issues, and the fundamental limits on performance. What's new in the second edition:

? Coverage of HPM systems with a detailed example called SuperSystem

? A survey of a class of high power radiators, with very different technologies and applications, that has fully emerged since the first edition

? New HPM formulary contains a handy compilation of frequently used rules of thumb and formulas

The book outlines historical trends that have led to the development of HPM and compares the capabilities of HPM to those of conventional microwaves. It divides the field into two sectors: applications driven and technology driven, and address both perspectives. Starting from the applications of HPM, the book reviews microwave fundamentals, enabling technologies, and the equipment and facilities surrounding the sources in which microwaves are generated. The authors conclude with coverage of ultrawideband technologies and the major source groups.

552 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

James Nelson Benford is a physicist, High-Power Microwave scientist, author, science-fiction writer, and entrepreneur. He is best known for introducing novel technological concepts and conjectures related to the exploration of outer space, among these the design of laser-driven sailships, the possible use of co-orbital objects (moon, asteroids) by alien probes to spy on earth, and the appraisal of technical and safety issues associated with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. His twin brother, Greg Benford, is also a science-fiction writer.