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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Laser-trigger system design for PBFA II

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5709351

A revolutionary design for triggering a multitude of high-voltage gas switches is in the process of being implemented and tested at Sandia National Laboratories. This new laser triggering system for PBFA II consists of five major subsystems. The first subsystem is a KrF laser which injects as much as 4 J of uv radiation into the optical train. The second subsystem is the optical train consisting of over 300 optical components that split the laser beam into 36 equal uv beamlets which are respectively directed into the trigger section of the PBFA-II gas switches. The third, the alignment system, provides a convenient, reliable, low-cost method of sensing the degree of alignment of the KrF laser with respect to the high-voltage switches. The fourth subsystem is the mechanical assembly supporting and containing the optical components in a low vibration, environmentally controlled manner. The fifth subsystem is control and diagnostics. These five subsystems act in concert to provide a low-maintenance triggering system which is reliable, repeatable, repeatable in performance, and will fire the 36, 5.5-MW, PBFA-II switches with a total firing spread first to last of 4 ns.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5709351
Report Number(s):
SAND-84-2445C; CONF-850616-39; ON: DE85013144
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English