The increase of duration of plasma opening switch conduction phase

Summary form only given, as follows. Plasma opening switch (POS) with an applied extrinsic magnetic field allows to Teach maximum voltage multiplication. However, this regime limits the charge density through the POS that reduces current value and pulse duration. The increase of the POS conduction phase duration allows to obtain a substantial growth in charge and energy densities transferred through the POS. This problem is important for the "Baikal" program of superpower generator creation. The machine as assumed will provide a long high current pulse which should be sharpened employing POS technology. To increase the conduction phase time it was proposed to use a special programmable plasma filling of the POS gap. This allows to maintain plasma concentration at low level providing an erosion regime for the conduction phase. The experiments aimed to increase the conduction phase time up to 40 ms used a complex form pulse obtained from a two-stage generator with a POS as a power intensifying element shortened with an inductive load. The first "long" stage utilized a 6 mF and 50 kV battery with a 40 ms current rise time. The second "short" part of the pulse was formed by a Marx generator (0.4 mF, 200 kV) with a quarter of period at 1 ms. The time interval between two parts of the pulse was 20-40 ms.