Effect of plasma flow direction on the performance of microsecond plasma opening switch

Summary form only given. The scaling of the microsecond plasma opening switch operation in a wide range of currents and plasma densities allowed to suggest the importance of the snow-plow plasma displacement model for long-conduction-time switches. The model does not require the magnetic field penetration into the bulk plasma and it is free of assumptions like anomalous plasma resistivity and shock-like field penetration. The plasma ahead of the current-conducting layer is displaced by hydrodynamic pressure of the magnetic piston. Assuming this model to be true, a significant modification of the plasma displacement parameters can be achieved by changing the initial shape of the plasma fill. The characteristics of a microsecond plasma opening switch have been improved by the modification of the plasma source. The nozzles were arranged to provide the plasma flow, which gets out of gun axis. The plasma flow directed 30/spl deg/ downstream of the inductive load resulted in 50% improvement of the load current risetime and switch impedance.