Dynamics and physics considerations of extended duration rep-rate operation of laser triggered gas switches

The Electra pulse power system at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) uses laser triggered SF 6 gas switches to transfer energy to a high power electron beam diode. These 1 MV switches have a charge transfer of 10 mC per shot and have been well characterized at rep-rates up to 5 pps with 2σ switch jitters of less than ± 2.5 ns, and a switch electrode durability of 200,000 pulses. 1 During long repetitive switch operation, the causes of intermittent misfires are not well understood.