Triggered Gaps

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jeremy Scott by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <supertux1-at-yahoo-dot-com>

Hi,

I've had a few ideas poking around in my brain lately.


I think I would like to modify my SRSG coil into
one that uses a triggered spark gap .. thus
making sort of solid state.

My understanding of the triggered spark gap is that
it is a single two electrode static gap with the
electrodes placed at such a distance that they will
never arc on their own at the desired arcing voltage.
In order to facilitate an arc, a third electrode is
introduced. This third electrode delivers electrons
from a completely isolated HV circuit into the space
between the primary electrodes and thus triggers
the main spark. Kind of like an ultra high power, high
voltage, low resistance, fast transistor.

Seems easy enough to build, has anyone made one, if
so, how did you drive the third electrode such that
it promoted gap breakdown at the right times?
(peak and troughs of the NST AC sinewave.)

Also, since the electrode assists in breaking down the
gap, is there any other sort of apparatus that would
do the solid state equivalent of quenching it?
My thought was a powerful electromagnet that would
repel or attract the ionized air away from the gap.