The development of the triggered vacuum gap as a high voltage energy diverter

The principle of the triggered vacuum gap exemplified as a new metal-vapor arc device in which a vacuum gap is broken down by the injection of a minute quantity of ionized hydrogen has been successfully applied to the development of high voltage energy diverters designed to operate from several hundred volts up to 350 kilovolts. The use of multiple series gradient electrodes to obtain high voltage hold-off by uniform voltage division with a single plasma injection source is described. Switching times and voltage and current breakdown characteristics have been measured and are reported. Triggering characteristics as a function of design parameter have been investigated. This development has resulted in high voltage, high power, energy diverters with fast triggering and recovery times and with wide voltage range suitable for the protection of RF components. The program and similar application has also contributed new experimental background to the understanding of vacuum breakdown.