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Re: Spark Gap Gasses Experiment



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: "Thornton, Russ #CSR2000" <ThorntoR-at-rc.pafb.af.mil>
> 
> > Original Poster: Jim Lux <James.P.Lux-at-jpl.nasa.gov>
> >
> > Tesla List wrote:
> >
> > Interestingly, though, Air seemed to work better in trigatrons
> > (triggered spark gaps) for radar use. Something about the O2 being there
> > helping quench the arc.  Craggs & Meek talk about this a bit, as does
> > Fruengel.
> >
> Jim, this must be some older technology. 
WW II vintage... Back when they also used rotary spark gaps and a PFN
for running a magnetron.

I have been working with
> radar from a few kwatts to 5 megawatts for the past 10 years and have never
> heard
> of a trigatron.  I had to go look it up. :^)  Interesting though.  I imagine
> the
> Varian switch tubes now do the same function.  This could also be used as a
> crowbar switch, also.  Actually, by definition, I think some of our crowbar
> switches may
> be trigatrons.  I just never heard anyone call them that.  I'll have to
> check with some
> of the REAL old timers around here.

The Maxwell Labs spark gap brochure mentions Trigatrons, as well. 
Typically, a trigatron refers to a gap with a hemispherical or spherical
electrodes, one of which is center drilled with the trigger electrode
inside. The trigger mechanism was either irradiation (from the trigger
spark UV) or field distortion. I think Craggs & Meek invented the term
in the 30's.  The real problem with the classic Trigatron design
(apparently) is that it is hard to make it low jitter. These days,
swinging cascade or midplane schemes are used more commonly.