Spectrographic Analysis of the Plasma Arc Generated within the Rimfire Gas Switch

Summary form only given. The University of Missouri-Columbia is currently utilizing a refurbished Proto II Marx bank provided by Sandia National Laboratory to conduct pulsed power research and investigate the Rimfire switch and issues that could potentially be influencing the lifetime of the switch housing. The Marx bank produces a voltage of 2 MV across the trigger section of the Rimfire gas switch, generating breakdown currents in excess of 500 kA. The interaction of the arc with the dielectric wall of the switch is being investigated to determine the effect of the UV on the switch lifetime. The UV flux generated by the plasma is thought to be either depositing charge on the walls of the plastic insulator or contributing to the aging of the switch\´s dielectric wall resulting in premature aging of the insulator. The arc spectrum has been characterized to identify electrode material ionization and byproducts, the arc spectrum, and the time resolved plasma temperature. A spectrographic analysis of the trigger-section of the RIMFIRE laser triggered gas switch used in Sandia National Laboratory\´s "Z-Machine" has been completed. The gas dielectric utilized in these tests was pressurized SF₆ and the electrode material was stainless steel. A spectrum range from 200 to 800 nanometers has been measured and will be reported.