Geometric considerations for ultrafast spark gap switching

Summary form only given. A circuit model of the spark gap is introduced for an analytical solution, and bounds are placed on the circuit parameters that reflect that physical geometry of the spark gaps. A full circuit synthesis has been performed on a spark gap that is both fed and terminated in a transmission line. The transmitted waveforms are calculated from the model, and related back to the physical geometry of the system. Simple circuit models of a spark gap is used to investigate the effect of the geometric considerations on charge time, the achievable risetime, the critical damping condition, and its relation to notches in the spectrum of radiated waveforms.