Plasma opening switch-load coupling on ACE 4

Plasma opening switches (POS) are a key technology in inductive energy storage based pulsed power applications. It has been observed on HAWK, DPM1, and ACE 4 that the geometry downstream of the POS plasma injection region can have a significant effect on POS-load coupling. However, the correlation between performance and geometry is not well understood. POS-load coupling has been investigated for the 9 cm radius, ACE 4 coaxial POS. This study provides insight into the coupling of the POS driving an inductive load and guidance in the design for coupling to an e-beam diode. It also complements the work reported at this meeting by Coleman et al. and Don Parks et al.