Five to 10 MA experiments using flat plate explosive generators

Summary form given only, as follows. High explosive pulsed power (HEPP) generators come in a variety of configurations. With these, we have performed experiments at levels from a few tens of kiloamperes to hundreds of megamperes. One class of these devices, which we call plate generators, provides an inexpensive power supply for experiments up to ∼12 MA. Coupled with opening and closing switches, we have applied these to a variety of applications requiring 5-10 MA current levels with pulse lengths in the range of a few ms down to a few hundred ns. In addition, we have used opening switches to generate voltage sources of hundreds of KV, and transformers to generate voltages up to 1.1 MV. In this paper we review past applications for these supplies, and show ways in which new circuit elements can be applied to a wide range of physics experiments.