Switching regimes of compact triggered vacuum gaps

Abstract

Dynamic characteristics of compact vacuum gaps are studied. Experiments are performed in the microsecond range of current pulses with amplitudes ranging from 50 A to 5 kA and rates of rise ranging from 10⁹ to 10¹⁰ A/s at switching voltages ranging from 2 to 10 kV. The most stable operation of the gaps is reached when the cathode is triggered using positive pulses. The instability of the initial stage of burning of vacuum arc leads to an increase in the stabilization time of the main discharge. Electrical valve-like properties of compact gaps are manifested in the stable quenching of vacuum arc at a current attenuation rate of 0.5 kA/μs.