Performance of the MK-IX Explosive-Driven Flux-Compression Generator

In the seventh IEEE Pulsed Power Conference in Monterey, CA (1989), Fowler and others published the performance characteristics for the recently developed MK-IX explosive-driven magnetic flux-compression generator (FCG). Since that time we have used this generator in a variety of applications, and have published the results as one of the features of each individual experiment. In this paper, we collect the results from these applications to review the performance of the FCG. The application requiring the largest routine current delivery was the Los Alamos Procyon system. In that system, the MK-IX was the prime power supply and we worked at current levels of -21.5 MA in 73 nH. We also used a MK-IX as a booster to supply initial flux for the CN-III generator, which generated a final current of -160 MA. In Procyon applications, the generator operated with a combined system jitter of 6% over a seven shot series where the MK-IX load was nominally identical. We discuss these and other results, and note how the jitter would be reduced in future applications.