Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 September 2012
A large-signal theory of bunching of an intense relativistic electron beam with both velocity and density modulation in the triaxial klystron has been derived in this paper. The theory presents both the harmonic current and the transient velocity in the bunching process, and expresses the velocity modulation directly by the modulation voltage that is easier to be attained and controlled in practice. A few checks are performed on the large-signal theory by particle-in-cell simulation that suggested the large-signal theory of bunching can successfully predict the first-order harmonic current and the velocity on a beam, with both velocity and density modulation, after interacting with a modulation voltage on the order of magnitude with the beam voltage. The theory described in this paper can accommodate general situations such as the bunching of a modulated beam after interacting with a buncher cavity of the Triaxial klystron amplifier.