Ditherable and tunable magnetron comprising axially tuning and rotational tuning members

Claim 1

A tunable magnetron comprising a cathode, an anode including an annular member disposed about and spaced from said cathode and a plurality of anode plates spaced about the inner wall of said annular member and extending radially therefrom toward said cathode, each pair of adjacent anode plates defining a resonant cavity therebetween, the inner ends of said anode plates adjacent said cathode being spaced from and defining with said cathode an interaction spaced therebetween, said anode plates each defining an axial slot, the slots defined by said anode plates forming an annular groove extending about the axis of said annular member, means for producing an axial magnetic field in said interaction space, a first tuning member rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the axis of said annular member and having an end portion extending into said groove, said end portion of said first tuning member having a circumferentially varying quantity of electrically conductive material so that a periodic rapid variation in the frequency of the magnetron is produced upon movement of said end portion in said groove during rotation of said first tuning member, and a second axially displaceable tuning member disposed on the side of said anode plates opposite said groove, said second tuning member having at least one electrically conductive axial projection extending into at least one of said resonant cavities for varying the frequency of the magnetron upon axial displacement of said second tuning member.