Prediction of high-voltage, broadband rf pulse generation from an air gas avalanche switch
The generation of high-voltage, broadband rf pulses will make possible very important advances in radar technology. Recent two- dimensional computer code calculations on a simple air gas avalanche switch geometry predict the generation of unipolar electromagnetic pulses at voltages form 227 kV to 3.90 MV and bandwidths of about 24 GHz. Computational pulse tail chopping increases the bandwidths to 31 to 44 GHz. The gas avalanche switch consists of a set of pulse-charge is initiated between the electrodes by multiphoton ionization from a picosecond-scale laser pulse. The laser initiated electrons avalanche toward the anode and cause applied voltage to collapse in picoseconds, long before the hot current channel formation in a conventional sparkgap. This report investigates the behavior of gas avalanche switches, we have developed a two-dimensional code, GAS2D, which simultaneously and selfconsistently solves Maxwell's curl equations for transverse magnetic (TM) field modes in a gas between two parallel conductors along with a set of electron fluid conservation equations. A rectilinear perfect conductor may be placed between the parallel plates in the gas switching medium. 17 refs., 12 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/DP
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6939168
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-103335; ON: DE90010183
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
42 ENGINEERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
DETECTION
PLASMA SWITCHES
DESIGN
RADAR
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
AIR
BREAKDOWN
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON DENSITY
ENERGY TRANSFER
FREQUENCY ANALYSIS
G CODES
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PERMEABILITY
PERMITTIVITY
PHOTOIONIZATION
PRESSURE EFFECTS
REFLECTIVITY
SIGNAL CONDITIONERS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VELOCITY
WAVE FORMS
WAVE PROPAGATION
WAVEGUIDES
COMPUTER CODES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
IONIZATION
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PULSE CIRCUITS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
RANGE FINDERS
SIMULATION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SWITCHES
657002* - Theoretical & Mathematical Physics- Classical & Quantum Mechanics
426000 - Engineering- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits- (1990-)