A 1-MV, 10-kJ photo-triggered Marx generator

The MV-1 system is a megavolt-class, 10-kJ Marx generator that employs cascade photo-triggering to affect rapid erection of the 13 modular stages. The system produces a negative current pulse with a fall time of 100-120 ns and a pulse width of 400-430 ns (FWHM) into an impedance-matched load. The estimated internal impedance is 15.4 Ω and the peak current is typically 48 kA. The MV-1 system has operated reliably for 5 years in an EMP research laboratory with only minimal maintenance.