The collective properties of the trigger plasma of a triggered vacuum gaps

The main gap current, before the main gap has sustained breakdown of triggered vacuum gaps (TVG), is used to investigate the collective properties of the trigger plasma. It is found that the trigger plasma has very unstable properties with the same trigger parameters. In different main gap modes, the direction of main gap current is different. In the positive mode, the electrons cross the main gap and form the main gap current. In the negative mode, the ions move from the trigger plasma and reach the main gap cathode in order to trigger the main gap. With different trigger pulse types, the expansion of the trigger plasma to the main gap can be influenced. In the positive mode, the initial increase rate of trigger plasma and its instability have no fundamental influence on the delay time of the TVG, but has an influence on the initial instability of TVG during triggering. In the negative mode, the initial increase rate of the main gap current and its instability have much influence on the delay time of the TVG and the reliability of the triggering of the TVG