Electromagnetic modelling design considerations for triggered spark gaps

Two dimensional electrostatic modelling techniques have previously been used to aid the design of high voltage, low jitter trigatron spark gap switches. The use of modelling allows regions of high electric field stress in the preliminary design to be identified quickly and controlled, ensuring optimum performance and lifetime of the switch. This paper describes the application of boundary element method (BEM) electrostatic analysis to the design of a triggered gas switch which has a predicted lifetime of 10⁴ shots, single sided jitter of <1 ns and an operating voltage of up to 500 kV. Design consideration has also been given to the average E-fields in both the main gap and the trigger gap in an attempt to reduce further the switch closure time and the jitter in the delay time