Plasma opening switch synchronization facility

The Baikal program provides a superpower generator creation which uses a plasma opening switch for output pulse production. The MOL facility is being developed within the frames of this program to test main units and systems of the planned generator at 4–6 MV, 3 MA and 100 ns. The MOL facility is planned to use 7 parallel plasma opening switch modules placed in the relatively compact vacuum chamber of 140 cm diameter. This aims at solving two main technical issued: plasma opening switch module development with external applied magnetic field and plasma switch modules synchronization. The paper describes plasma switch module design and low inductance load synchronization experimental tests results.