High-Energy High-Q Capacitor Banks Driving High-Current Long-Duration Arc Discharges

Abstract

High-energy capacitor banks have been constructed to investigate long-duration (100 ps to > 10 ms) high-current wireinitiated arc discharges. In particular a megajoule bank which produces large currents with high voltage-reversal has beenConstructed. This capacitor bank is used in a high-Q circuit with a specially constructed low-loss, 11.7 mH inductor. The effects of low frequency and high-voltage reversal on these capacitors are described. Also, the effects of high-coulomb transfer on a highaction spark gap are presented. A spectroscopic observation system capable of measuring visible emission from these discharges has been constructed and is used to obtain electron number density and temperature measurements versus the discharge radius, as well as provide information on the time evolution of the discharge composition.