Initial results from the University of Missouri terawatt test stand

The University of Missouri Terawatt Test Stand (MUTTS) is fitted with a 2.7 MV multichanneling laser triggered gas switch scaled from a 4 MV switch developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The long term goals of the research at MUTTS are to improve the multichanneling reliability and jitter of the switch when the electrode rings in the cascade section are either increased in number or in diameter. Multichanneling is important for two main reasons: 1) a reduction of electrode wear and 2) reduced inductance. The test facility provides a high voltage/high current test bed for a number of experiments that are easily scalable to large accelerators, such that, we expect the results to be directly applicable to the requirements of the Z and ZR accelerators. The first series of shots at MUTTS included dummy load and open load configurations to determine parasitic circuit elements. Diagnostics include monitoring the load current and Marx total current, voltage at the Marx output, load, and Marx trigger unit. Equivalent series resistance, series inductance, Marx capacitance, and shunt resistance were determined from these diagnostics. This is used to develop a first order circuit model of the energy storage section by comparison to experimental data. Characteristics of the scaled switch and initial pulsed power tests at the facility are presented