Hermetically Sealed Back Lighted Thyratron Switches for High Power Applications

We report the results of a program to develop hermetically scaled back lighted thyratron switches for high voltage and high current operation. Initial results with a single gap switch include switching >80kA maximum holdoff voltage of 72kV when pulse charged, and 17.5 kV, 60kA, 40kA reverse, 400nsec pulse at 5Hz. Using multiple gap switches we have obtained scaling to voltages > 100kV, 26kA and continuous operation at 78kV, 19kA at 10Hz. The switches are produced in both optically and electrically triggered versions.