Development of a 5.4 MV laser triggered gas switch for multimodule, multimegampere pulsed power drivers

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Development of a 5.4 MV laser triggered gas switch for multimodule, multimegampere pulsed power drivers

K. R. LeChien, M. E. Savage, V. Anaya, D. E. Bliss, W. T. Clark, J. P. Corley, G. Feltz, J. E. Garrity, D. W. Guthrie, K. C. Hodge, J. E. Maenchen, R. Maier, K. R. Prestwich, K. W. Struve, W. A. Stygar, T. Thompson, J. Van Den Avyle, P. E. Wakeland, Z. R. Wallace, and J. R. Woodworth

Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 11, 060402 – Published 18 June 2008

Abstract

Laser triggered, megavolt, megampere gas switches are frequently utilized to synchronize multiple pulsed power driver modules for inertial-confinement fusion, isentropic compression, and radiation physics experiments. The device developed to synchronize the 36 modules of the refurbished accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories is a 5.4 MV, 700 kA, sulfur-hexafluoride () filled, laser triggered gas switch. At this operating level, switch jitter is 5 ns, the prefire rate is less than 0.1%, the average optic lifetime is greater than 200 shots, and the flashover rate is less than 1%. Over 1000 shots on a single-module test facility were conducted while iterating several potential design improvements, including utilizing low-erosion electrode material, varying pressure, and modifying internal switch geometry all while keeping the basic switch architecture and footprint constant. Results of this development effort are presented herein.

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Received 28 February 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.11.060402

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Authors & Affiliations

K. R. LeChien¹, M. E. Savage¹, V. Anaya², D. E. Bliss¹, W. T. Clark¹, J. P. Corley², G. Feltz², J. E. Garrity³, D. W. Guthrie², K. C. Hodge², J. E. Maenchen¹, R. Maier¹, K. R. Prestwich⁴, K. W. Struve¹, W. A. Stygar¹, T. Thompson², J. Van Den Avyle¹, P. E. Wakeland², Z. R. Wallace², and J. R. Woodworth¹

¹Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
²Ktech Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123, USA
³Materials Processing and Coatings Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123, USA
⁴Kenneth R. Prestwich Consulting, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112, USA

6.1-MV, 0.79-MA laser-triggered gas switch for multimodule, multiterawatt pulsed-power accelerators

K. R. LeChien, W. A. Stygar, M. E. Savage, P. E. Wakeland, V. Anaya, D. S. Artery, M. J. Baremore, D. E. Bliss, R. Chavez, G. D. Coombs, J. P. Corley, P. A. Jones, A. K. Kipp, B. A. Lewis, J. A. Lott, J. J. Lynch, G. R. McKee, S. D. Ploor, K. R. Prestwich, S. A. Roznowski, D. C. Spencer, S. D. White, and J. R. Woodworth

Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 13, 030401 (2010)

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Vol. 11, Iss. 6 — June 2008

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