Aachen PK 2003 – scientific programme

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K: Kurzzeitphysik

K 5: Short time-scale physics, posters

K 5.2: Poster

Thursday, March 20, 2003, 17:30–19:15, Foyer

Picosecond high voltage triggering of a pressurized spark gap — •Jimi Hendriks and Seth Brussaard — Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Department of Applied Physics, Cyclotron Laboratory, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

The advent of femtosecond lasers and the emergence of new technologies in the sub-picosecond regime create the need and at the same time open the possibility for better timing and faster response of high-voltage systems. Presently, risetime and jitter of high-voltage pulses are limited to the nanosecond regime by the initial breakdown process in a spark gap. To overcome these limits, we have developed a 10 kV spark-gap, that can be switched using a high-power femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser. By creating a line focus with an intensity of > 10¹⁴ W/m² between the electrodes, a fully ionized plasma channel is created. The first experimental results are presented, which show faster switching and reduction of the jitter between the laser and the high-voltage pulse. Laser shadowgraphy and interferometry are used to study the development of the plasma channel.