Initial stage of discharge current growth in a triggered vacuum gap

The dynamics of light emission accompanying the initial stage of electric discharge in a substantially undervoltaged vacuum gap was studied with a knock-down model using high-speed photorecording. Voltage across the gap was maintained within the range of 0.5-5 kV, which corresponded to the minimum operating voltage of vacuum-triggered gaps. It was found that front layers of a plasma cloud near a cathode, formed by a firing pulse, scattered at a speed of (5-8)×10⁶ cm/s. During firing, a channel directed to the opposite electrode was formed from the plasma cloud near the cathode. It was found that the average switch-on delay time of the triggered vacuum gap is ~d(1+h/d) I_f^-α, where d is the interelectrode gap length, h is the trigger assembly penetration height, and I_f is the firing current     

Switching characteristics of the triggered vacuum gap for ahigh-repetition-rate pulse-power source

Switching characteristics of sealed-off triggered vacuum gaps (TVGs) were examined from the viewpoint of a high repetition rate at high current discharge. With a triggered energy of 11 J, it was possible to fire the main gap in both the anode and cathode modes of operation. In repetitive discharge experiments, the TVG-tube was put in the center of the cylindrical conductor and the switching tube inductance was about 27 nH. The TVG-tube was confirmed to have capabilities for 1000 shots with a pulse current of 120 kA and a high repetition rate of 5 Hz. These experimental results indicated that the TVG-tube is a potential repetitive closing switch for the plasma X-ray source     

大电流下多棒极型真空触发开关电弧特性

提出了一种多棒极型真空触发开关（TVS）,利用3对棒形电极的特殊结构来增大主触头间的燃弧面积,从而有效地提高TVS通流能力。结合真空电弧电压实验,阐述了多棒极型TVS在不同的大电流等级下的电弧发展变化过程。电弧电压的变化表现了多棒极型TVS中多通道并联燃弧及其在各通道之间的电弧转移过程,从而使得真空电弧维持在扩散态。由此开发的TVS样品实现了225 kA的峰值电流,单次转移电荷量45 C。     

大电流下多棒极型真空触发开关电弧特性

提出了一种多棒极型真空触发开关（TVS）,利用3对棒形电极的特殊结构来增大主触头间的燃弧面积,从而有效地提高TVS通流能力。结合真空电弧电压实验,阐述了多棒极型TVS在不同的大电流等级下的电弧发展变化过程。电弧电压的变化表现了多棒极型TVS中多通道并联燃弧及其在各通道之间的电弧转移过程,从而使得真空电弧维持在扩散态。由此开发的TVS样品实现了225 kA的峰值电流,单次转移电荷量45 C。     

高压多脉冲真空间隙击穿实验研究

 在真空间隙击穿机理的理论基础上,设计了高压多脉冲下真空间隙的击穿实验方案,对相同材料的多对电极间隙在高压单脉冲和三脉冲下的真空击穿特性进行了实验研究。实验结果与脉冲下真空间隙的击穿机理相符,对脉冲数量增加对真空间隙宏观击穿场强的影响进行了验证,推断出了决定真空间隙宏观击穿场强的关键因素,并对多脉冲加速间隙最大宏观场强的设计提出了建议。     

Circuit modeling of a vacuum gap during breakdown

In this paper several aspects of circuit modeling of a vacuum gap during breakdown are improved or introduced for the first time. More accurate perveance formulas are derived by the method of tracing electron trajectories in the self-consistent electric field calculated by the finite element method. The formula for maximum anode current density is also derived by the same method. A practical model of anode heating is proposed, by which transient anode temperature is calculated coupled with gap voltage and current, providing more accurate modeling of anode plasma initiation. The circuit model of a vacuum gap during breakdown incorporating all these features is implemented as a subcircuit element in the PSPICE     

长间隙真空触发开关导通特性

基于真空触发开关的导通机理,设计了长间隙真空触发开关导通特性的实验方案。根据高速摄像图片讨论了长间隙真空触发开关的导通过程和影响导通特性的因素。通过实验得到了触发电流对间隙脉冲电流的影响规律：采用上升时间较短且峰值较高的触发电流,能够明显降低主间隙的火花电阻和导通延时,验证了对导通过程的理论预测。     

长间隙真空触发开关导通特性

基于真空触发开关的导通机理,设计了长间隙真空触发开关导通特性的实验方案。根据高速摄像图片讨论了长间隙真空触发开关的导通过程和影响导通特性的因素。通过实验得到了触发电流对间隙脉冲电流的影响规律:采用上升时间较短且峰值较高的触发电流,能够明显降低主间隙的火花电阻和导通延时,验证了对导通过程的理论预测。     

Electromagnetic tornado in the vacuum gap of a pulsar

The solution for an electromagnetic tornado that describes the motion in the discharge filament of breakdown in the vacuum gap of a pulsar has been obtained. This solution can serve as an explanation of the observed circular polarization of giant radiation pulses from pulsars.     

Mass gap without vacuum energy

We consider soft nonlocal deformations of massless theories that introduce a mass gap. By use of a renormalization scheme that preserves the ultraviolet softness of the deformation, renormalized quantities of low mass dimension, such as normal mass terms, vanish via finite counterterms. The same applies to the renormalized cosmological constant. We connect this discussion to gauge theories, since they are also subject to a soft nonlocal deformation due to the effects of Gribov copies. These effects are softer than usually portrayed.     

Sculpting the vacuum in a photonic band gap micro-chip

We describe the engineering of the electromagnetic vacuum in a 2D–3D photonic bandgap (PBG) hetero-structure. This facilitates the development of novel active devices and the observation of novel quantum electrodynamic phenomena. We consider a specific architecture suitable as an all-optical micro-transistor capable of novel ultra-fast response with low switching power requirements. This relies on a unique collective atomic switching and population inversion achieved by coherent resonant pumping in a suitably engineered vacuum. Specific waveguide architectures within the 3D PBG micro-chip provide local density-of-states (LDOS) peaks near their cutoff frequency. These provide “building blocks” for electromagnetic vacuum engineering without recourse to conventional high Q-factor micro-cavities. For the all-optical micro-transistor, a fork shape LDOS within the micro-chip is desirable, using trimodal waveguide architecture. We delineate the functional robustness of these architectures to disorder caused by manufacturing errors within the PBG micro-chip.     

Cathodic initiation of breakdown in vacuum under a constant voltage

Cathodic initiation is proposed as a model of breakdown under vacuum, such a breakdown assumed here to be due to cathode heating and disintegration as a result of a spontaneous thermal emission current with a high density. An emitter is considered here in the shape of a cylindrical or conical stub with the height H and, on the basis of its heat balance, sufficiently simple and convenient-to-use formulas are derived which relate the critical electric field intensity E_k with the thermophysical as well as the geometrical parameters of such an emitter. Known test values of E_k are then used for determining the heights and the maximum temperatures of such stubs at which a stable emitter performance is still possible.     

带陡化间隙的触发真空开关触发源研制北大核心CSCD

针对主电极间距20mm以上的沿面击穿型多棒极触发真空开关(TVS),研制了开关触发源。触发源利用脉冲变压器产生脉冲高压输出,在脉冲变压器高压侧并联小容值电容并在电容后串联陡化间隙。陡化间隙的加入可以使触发源输出不受触发沿面金属蒸气沉积的影响。通过调节间隙击穿电压也可以提高电容充电电压及储存能量,从而增加TVS触发沿面被击穿时注入到其中的触发能量。使用该触发源对TVS进行导通实验,结果表明,加入陡化间隙后的触发源输出能量大幅提高且不受触发沿面金属蒸气沉积的影响,能够实现TVS的100%可靠导通。     

带陡化间隙的触发真空开关触发源研制

针对主电极间距20 mm以上的沿面击穿型多棒极触发真空开关（TVS）,研制了开关触发源。触发源利用脉冲变压器产生脉冲高压输出,在脉冲变压器高压侧并联小容值电容并在电容后串联陡化间隙。陡化间隙的加入可以使触发源输出不受触发沿面金属蒸气沉积的影响。通过调节间隙击穿电压也可以提高电容充电电压及储存能量,从而增加TVS触发沿面被击穿时注入到其中的触发能量。使用该触发源对TVS进行导通实验,结果表明,加入陡化间隙后的触发源输出能量大幅提高且不受触发沿面金属蒸气沉积的影响,能够实现TVS的100%可靠导通。     

Effect of vacuum conditions on breakdown voltage between electrodes in vacuum

The electrical breakdown in vacuum was studied in the configuration: wire —plane. Measurements were performed in two different experimental systems: with technical vacuum and with the clean one. It was found that the value of breakdown voltage decreases with increasing vacuum and that at the same pressure the insulating properties of electrodes are better in the technical vacuum than in the oilless one.     

Characteristics of a vacuum spark triggered by the transient hollowcathode discharge electron beam

The discharge characteristics of a vacuum spark triggered by the transient hollow cathode discharge (THCD) electron beam is investigated over a wide variety of discharge conditions. Two systems of the vacuum spark device have been considered-the first system powered by eight 2700-pF doorknob capacitors charged to a voltage of 40 kV (input energy of 17.6 J); while the second system employs a single 1.85-μF Maxwell capacitor discharged at a voltage of 20 kV (input energy of 370 J). The operating pressure of these systems has been varied over the range of 10 ^-2 to 10^-5 mbar in order to examine the effect of the operating pressure on the plasma formation of the vacuum spark discharge. The effectiveness of plasma heating has been found to be significantly enhanced in the two vacuum spark systems studied here. In particular, the plasma of the 17.6 J system has been observed to be heated to a condition hot enough to emit in the X-ray region when the operating pressure is reduced from 10^-2 to 10^-5 mbar. Similarly, in the case of the 370 J system, hot spot formation is also observed to occur only at a low operating pressure of 10^-4 mbar     

多棒极型触发真空开关极性效应

基于有限元分析软件ANSOFT对触发真空开关触发极附近的静电场分布进行了仿真,并对其工作在不同的极性配置方式下开展了一系列实验。主要研究触发真空开关极性配置方式与导通时延的大小及其分散性的关系,同时分析了静电场对初始等离子体扩散的影响,从而为触发真空开关的结构优化设计提供理论依据。仿真结果表明:当触发极工作在正极性配置下,可以增强触发极附近阴极表面的电场强度,从而有利于阴极斑点的形成,减小导通时延及其分散性,提高其可靠性。实验验证了触发真空开关在正极性配置下的工作可靠性高、时延小,与仿真分析结果一致。     

多棒极型触发真空开关极性效应

基于有限元分析软件ANSOFT对触发真空开关触发极附近的静电场分布进行了仿真,并对其工作在不同的极性配置方式下开展了一系列实验。主要研究触发真空开关极性配置方式与导通时延的大小及其分散性的关系,同时分析了静电场对初始等离子体扩散的影响,从而为触发真空开关的结构优化设计提供理论依据。仿真结果表明：当触发极工作在正极性配置下,可以增强触发极附近阴极表面的电场强度,从而有利于阴极斑点的形成,减小导通时延及其分散性,提高其可靠性。实验验证了触发真空开关在正极性配置下的工作可靠性高、时延小,与仿真分析结果一致。     

一种基于吸气电极的新型真空触发开关

针对真空触发开关触发时延和抖动大、使用寿命不长的难题,设计了一种基于吸气电极的新型真空触发开关,开展工作寿命测试实验和不同触发极性、主间隙电压和触发能量下的导通特性实验。实验结果表明：与纯金属电极开关相比,吸气电极开关的触发时延和抖动更小,工作寿命更长。负极性触发时的触发时延和抖动均远低于正极性触发。正极性触发的触发时延为1.7～3 μs,抖动为300～700 ns,而负极性触发的触发时延为400～600 ns,抖动为30～70 ns。触发时延和抖动都随着触发能量的增大而减小,但当能量高于一定值后,触发能量对导通特性的影响趋于饱和。