Development of an accelerator kicker magnet modulator using a back lighted thyratron

The authors discuss the design, fabrication, and testing of a low-pulse rate kicker magnet modulator using a commercially available BLT (back lighted thyratron). A 400 ns, two Ω pulse forming network is switched into a 2 Ω resistive load with the 50 kV BLT to investigate tube operation at large peak currents and small current rise times. The system inductance was minimized to permit maximum rate of current rise. The experimental arrangement and the results of the initial system operation are presented. The results demonstrate that hollow cathode discharge switches in the form of BLTs can be used to switch large peak currents at large rates of current rise for the most severe magnetic kicker applications. Peak currents of up to 12 kA have been switched