Negative, positive, and infinite mass properties of a rotating electron beam

An electron rotating under a uniform axial magnetic field and a radial electric field exhibits an effective mass that may be negative, positive, or infinite, in response to an azimuthal electric field. This paper reports simulation results that show instability and stability when the effective mass are negative and positive, respectively, depending on the magnitude and orientation of the radial electric field. Thus, the inverted magnetron would have a much faster startup than the conventional magnetron, an important consideration for pulsed operation. When the effective mass is infinite, the electrons hardly respond to an azimuthal ac electric field.