Low jitter, low inductance solid dielectric switches.
It has been shown that the use of graded solid dielectric sandwiches in laser-triggered spark gaps (LTS) can lead to highly desirable multichannel operations while maintaining the low delay and jitter performance characteristics of LTS. As many as ten separate breakdown channels were observed when small circular or hexagonal aluminum inserts were inserted between two Mylar dielectric sheets stressed at 4.1 kV/mil. A reduction in rise time was noted for these multichannel switching events.
Novel principle of transient high-voltage generation
It is shown how voltage multiplication can be obtained by the transient reversal of the voltages in alternate units of series-connected systems. This leads to three groups of high-voltage generators whose performances are discussed theoretically. The results of preliminary experiments are reported briefly: these are in agreement with the theoretical predictions and show that voltages of about 1 MV are readily obtained by these methods.
STABILITY OF THE DENSE PLASMA FOCUS.
The influence of small dc axial magnetic fields upon the stability of the focused plasma column is shown in the light of soft x rays. The material damage to the center electrode and the intense x‐ray emission at the electrode face as a result of electron bombardment is considerably reduced. Although the final heating of the ions and electrons is inhibited as expected due to a trapped magnetic field, the spatial stability of the focused column offers a greater possibility for scaling to higher energies.