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Re: Lasers and High Voltage arc's
Subject: Re: Lasers and High Voltage arc's
Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 06:20:32 -0700
From: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com>
Organization: Stoneridge Engineering
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
References: 1
Tesla List wrote:
>
> Subject: Re: Lasers and High Voltage arc's
> Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 10:17:20 -0500
> From: David Huffman <huffman-at-FNAL.GOV>
> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
> There is/was an experiment here where I work that used a laser to
> fire a spark gap at a precise time. The laser was about 10 watts.
>
> huffman
Dave and all,
Suspect it also is a UV laser(?). Spark gaps in Marx generators are
aligned vertically so that the UV emitted from the first gap to fire
aids in reliably triggering the others. "Calibrated" spark gaps may also
use a source of low-level atomic radiation or or a UV source so that a
level of ionization is always present in the air in the gap to guarantee
formation of the initial electron avalanche(s) necessary for the spark
gap to reliably and consistently fire. Any source of ionizing radiation
will work - partical beams and X-rays have been tried and also work.
It doesn't take much UV. The high instantaneous power level and precise
timing control of the laser permits very precise control over when the
gap fires. Repeatable firing tends to be more of a problem for short
gaps...
Safe gappin' to ya!
-- Bert --