The Exciting Mechanism of the Parallel-Plate EMP Simulator

Abstract

It is said that the parallel-plate electromagnetic-pulse (EMP) simulator is essentially a parallel-plate waveguide. This is not true. An analysis of the subpulses emitted from subregions of the sloping triangular and parallel rectangular plates shows that, when the length b of the parallel-plate section is close to the height h between the two parallel plates (which is true in most practical cases), the simulator is essentially a cone-plate radiator rather than a parallel-plate waveguide. The EMP in the working volume is contributed by the current pulses on the triangular plate near the pulse generator, so that the parallel plate actually plays a rather small role in forming the EMP in the working volume.