Marx generator using dense plasma switches

Summary form only given. The design and preliminary operation of a Marx style pulse generator using advanced dense plasma switches (Pseudospark) are presented. The bank consists of three 150 nF/40 kV capacitors connected with three floating plasma switches. These switches can hold off 35 kV and pass up to 10 kA at repetition rates approaching 1 kHz. The expected lifetime of >200 kC and the relatively low housekeeping power of <50 W make the dense plasma switch an excellent candidate in compact Marx generator applications. In the Marx bank application the important issues to be resolved are the stability and reproducibility of delay and jitter among all the switches and the practicality of a highly efficient, compact floating power supplied to each switch. These are interrelated issues, as the delay is a strong function of the trigger pulse shape and amplitude as well as of the exact gas pressure inside the switches. Thus, the main design and implementation problem lies in the floating housekeeping power units of each switch.