Breakdown phenomena in ultra-fast plasma closing switches

Dick, A.R.; MacGregor, S.J.; Buttram, M.T.; Pate, Ronald C.; Rinehart, Larry F.; Prestwich, K.R.

doi:10.1109/ppc.1999.823725

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…In actual fact, this finding opened up the way for the creation of highvoltage generators of subnanosecond pulses [7]. This principle underlies the operation of the majority of high-pressure gasdischarge subnanosecond switches [7][8][9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This is explained primarily by the fact that a limited number of research teams have high-voltage subnanosecond equipment and, simultaneously, are experienced in investigations on the physics of pulsed breakdown of gases. Mostly, the method of oscillographic recording of breakdown phenomena (the breakdown delay time and the switching time measurements) was used in [7][8][9][10][11] and other studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Streak investigations of the initial phase of a subnanosecond pulsed electrical breakdown of high-pressure gas gaps

Ivanov¹,

Lisenkov²,

Shpak³

2010

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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The initiation and the development of a breakdown of highly overvoltaged high-pressure (from 4 to 40 atm) gas gaps by voltage pulses having the risetime of 1 ns or shorter are studied experimentally and in theoretical terms. The study revealed that ionization processes leading to the breakdown start in the gas volume and not from the surface of the electrodes. The gap flashover is followed by ionization wave processes initiating in the gas volume and playing the decisive role at the first phase of the breakdown. The dynamics of the ionization waves strongly depends on the initial distribution of free electrons over the gas gap. The distribution of ionization waves is analysed when the initial electrons are distributed uniformly and nonuniformly over the gap. The calculation results are in qualitative agreement with the relevant experimental data. It is shown that the propagation of the ionization waves at the initial stage of subnanosecond pulsed electrical breakdown of gas leads to a redistribution of the electric field in the discharge gap and a region of a strong field, whose intensity is sufficient for the onset of emission processes and the generation of a short beam of fast electrons near the cathode, is formed at the cathode for a very short (up to 100 ps) time.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Streak investigations of the initial phase of a subnanosecond pulsed electrical breakdown of high-pressure gas gaps

Ivanov¹,

Lisenkov²,

Shpak³

2010

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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show abstract

“…Ultrafast gas breakdown, with voltage risetimes in the sub-nanosecond regime, overvoltages by a factor of at least ten above static breakdown voltages, and characteristic breakdown time constants again in the subnanosecond regime, is of interest for pulsed power switching [1], for ultra-wideband (UWB) radar [2], and for plasma limiters [3]. Quantitative information on switch closure times, and standoff voltages for short pulses, would be relevant for many switching and insulation tasks, for both volume breakdown and breakdown in the presence of dielectric surfaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast gas breakdown at pressures below one atmosphere

Krompholz

Hatfield

Neuber

et al. 2006

2006 IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena

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Gas breakdown in quasi homogeneous electric fields with amplitudes of up to 3 MV/cm is investigated. The setup consists of a RADAN 303 A pulser and pulse slicer SN 4, an impedance-matched oil-filled coaxial line with a lens-transition to a biconical line in vacuum or gas, and an axial or radial gap with a width on the order of mm, with a symmetrical arrangement on the other side of the gap. Capacitive voltage dividers allow to determine voltage across as well as conduction current through the gap, with a temporal resolution determined by the oscilloscope sampling rate of 20 GS/s and an analog bandwidth of 6 GHz. The gap capacitance charging time and voltage risetime across the gap is less than 250 ps. Previous experiments at TTU with a slightly larger risetime have shown that breakdown is governed by runaway electrons, with multi-channel formation and high ionization and light emission in a thin cathode layer only. In argon and air, time constants for the discharge development have been observed to have a minimum of around 100 ps at several 10 torr. A qualitative understanding of the observed phenomena and their dependence on gas pressure is based on explosive field emission and gaseous ionization for electron runaway conditions.

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“…It should be noted that recent measurements of the switching characteristics of different gases [6], have indicated that the performance of SF , with regard to fast closing actions, is at a minimum for pressures around 500 kPa. These results, combined with the relatively large spark-gap spacing of 7 mm, would suggest that switch rise times should be somewhat greater than a nanosecond.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resonant antenna-source system for generation of high-power wideband pulses

Hong

Braidwood

2002

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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High-power electromagnetic pulse sources are of interest for a variety of applications such as transient radar and for investigations concerning radio-frequency effects on electronic systems. For such work, a simple, mobile, and robust source system has been developed at the Defence Science and Technology Organization, Edinburgh, Australia. It is comprised of a pulsedresonant transformer, a spark-gap switch, and a modified biconical antenna. The antenna is charged to a high voltage, in the order of hundreds of kV, by the transformer and then is shorted at the bicone center by the spark-gap switch. The charge energy stored in the antenna then oscillates at the resonant frequency of the system and produces high-power electromagnetic pulses. In this paper, we describe the system design, present results of numerical simulations and measurements, and discuss areas for further improvements in energy-transfer efficiency, and power output.Index Terms-Biconical antenna, electric field measurement, electromagnetic pulses, finite difference time domain (FDTD), high-power RF sources, pulsed power system, pulsed resonant transformer.

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Breakdown phenomena in ultra-fast plasma closing switches

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

Streak investigations of the initial phase of a subnanosecond pulsed electrical breakdown of high-pressure gas gaps

Streak investigations of the initial phase of a subnanosecond pulsed electrical breakdown of high-pressure gas gaps

Ultrafast gas breakdown at pressures below one atmosphere

Resonant antenna-source system for generation of high-power wideband pulses

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