magnetron
Noun
Meaning
a diode vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons from a central cathode to a cylindrical anode is controlled by crossed magnetic and electric fields; used mainly in microwave oscillators
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Anagrams
Examples
A similar magnetron with a different section removed.
Cavity magnetron Cutaway drawing of a cavity magnetron from 1984.
Centimetric radar, made possible by the cavity magnetron, allowed for the detection of much smaller objects and the use of much smaller antennas.
Furthermore, ovens are equipped with redundant safety interlocks, which remove power from the magnetron if the door is opened.
However, there are still a few applications for which tubes are preferred to semiconductors; for example, the magnetron used in microwave ovens, and certain high-frequency amplifiers.
Hull's magnetron was not originally intended to generate VHF (very-high-frequency) electromagnetic waves.