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Title: Requirements for self-magnetically insulated transmission lines

Journal Article · · Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); VanDevender Enterprises, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Self-magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) connect pulsed-power drivers with a load. Although the technology was originally developed in the 1970s and is widely used today in super power generators, failure of the technology is the principal limitation on the power that can be delivered to an experiment. We address issues that are often overlooked, rejected after inadequate simulations, or covered by overly conservative assumptions: (i) electron retrapping in coupling MITLs to loads, (ii) the applicability of collisionless versus collisional electron flow, (iii) power transport efficiency as a function of the geometry at the beginning of the MITL, (iv) gap closure and when gap closure can be neglected, and (v) the role of negative ions in causing anode plasmas and enhancing current losses. We suggest a practical set of conservative design requirements for self-magnetically insulated electron flow based on the results discussed in this paper and on previously published results. The requirements are not necessarily severe constraints in all MITL applications; however, each of the 18 suggested requirements should be examined in the design of a MITL and in the investigation of excessive losses.

Research Organization:
Office of Scientific and Technical Information, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1213410
Journal Information:
Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams, Vol. 18, Issue 3; ISSN 1098-4402
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 17 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

Particle-in-cell simulations of current loss in magnetically insulated transmission line with inductive helical support journal August 2019
Magnetic insulation in a curved vacuum transmission line journal April 2019
Theoretical model for magnetically insulated flow with both negative and positive ions journal July 2019
Particle-in-cell simulations of cathode plasma evolution in small-gap magnetically insulated transmission lines journal December 2019
Theoretical model for magnetically insulated flow with both negative and positive ions text January 2019
Particle-in-cell simulations of current loss in magnetically insulated transmission line with inductive helical support text January 2019

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