Computer code prediction of picosecond voltage switching and TEM wave generation in air gas avalanche switches

Conference · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/PPC.1989.767537· OSTI ID:6160161

Mayhall, D. J.; Yee, J. H.; Villa, F.

The realization of efficient, reliable picosecond closing switches will make possible high gradient (1--3 GeV) linacs with pulsed accelerating electrode structures. Recently a promising candidate for picosecond, high voltage switching, the gas avalanche switch, has been proposed. The medium in this switch is high pressure (10--800 atm) gas. An avalanche discharge is initiated between pulse-charged high voltage electrodes by multiphoton ionization from a picosecond order laser pulse. The laser-initiated electrons avalanche toward the anode, causing the applied voltage to collapse in picoseconds, long before the hot current channel formation of a conventional spark gap. Several versions of the gas avalanche switch may be conceived. A parallel plate capacitor version consists of a high pressure gas confined between two parallel metal plates. An analysis of the formation or voltage delay and voltage collapse times for this geometry has been done by Villa and Cassell by numerical integration of a zero-dimensional (OD) electric circuit equation, which includes a resistively limited charge feed. This analysis predicts voltage collapse times of the order of several picoseconds for N/sub 2/ and air and 1 psec or less for Ar. 6 refs., 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6160161
• Report Number(s): UCRL-100122; CONF-890665-15; ON: DE89013778
• Resource Relation: Conference: 7. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers pulsed power conference, Monterey, CA, USA, 12 Jun 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
PLASMA SWITCHES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
CAPACITORS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRON DRIFT
ELECTRON GAS
LASERS
MAGNETIC GRADIENT ACCELERATORS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
MULTI-PHOTON PROCESSES
PHOTOIONIZATION
WAVE FORMS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
IMPACT FUSION DRIVERS
IONIZATION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SWITCHES
430300* - Particle Accelerators- Auxiliaries & Components