High-Power Triggered Gas Switches

Examples of UWB sources that have used self-closing spark-gap type of gas switches are: 1)H-series systems at AFRL, 2)Sniper and EMBL at Sandia, and 3)Prototype IRA pulser built by Pro-Tech and PSI. There are several reasons for developing triggered versions of the basic high-voltage spark-gap. They include synchronization with an external event, timed-array antenna application for steering directed energy systms etc. We are proposing to design a short-pulse testbed facility in Phase I. The system will be fabricated and delivered in Phase II. This facility will be modular and flexible to permit studying different typer of electrical and laser triggers, gas mixes, electrode geometries etc. In Phase I, we will also design an appropriate dunny load and a candidate antenna array. Initially, a linear timed-array antenna will be considered and evaluated in Phase I. The dummy load and linear array will be fabricated in Phase II.