High-Current Surface Flashover in a High-Pressure $\hbox {SF}_{6}$ Environment

A recent upgrade of Sandia National Laboratories´ Z-machine has exposed a possible failure mode in the 5 MV laser-triggered gas switches (LTGS). During the closure of the cascade section of the switch, the surface flashover (SF) inside the dielectric switch housing occurred sporadically, affecting subsequent closing timing and damaging the switch housing. A small-scale experiment has been constructed to mimic conditions within the LTGS and to examine the survivability of various materials exposed to high-current SFs.