Compact Solid State Switched Spiral Generators as Triggers for Pulsed Power Accelerators

High voltage, nanosecond risetime pulses are widely used for the triggering of high current switches in pulsed power facilities, however many of the generators used to produce these pulses are either no longer available (for example PT55s) or costly and complex. We present research into a modern, compact spiral generator using charging voltages of only
$\sim$
few kV and solid state input switches to produce fast rising pulses of >>50kV. Through experiment and modelling we have explored how the pulses are formed within the spiral, why a high speed input switch is required, how the geometry of the spiral dictates its output characteristics, and the effects of different loads.