Performance Analysis of a Short-Pulse Marx Generator for High-Power Relativistic Applications With a Solution Load

Abstract

Many approaches exist for energy storage and delivery to the load, including high-power relativistic applications. One of the best solutions for the driver of high-power relativistic applications is the Marx generator. This paper describes the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of a Marx generator consisting of capacitors, spark-gap switches, and resistors. It is designed as an eight-stage Marx circuit to reach an output voltage level as low as −500 kV, and it is directly connected to the Blumlein pulse-forming line (PFL) to achieve more than 100 ns of the full-width at half-maximum. Experiments are performed with a solution load in a manner similar to having a coaxial structure in a high vacuum with a pressure of below $0.5\, \times \, 10^{-5}$ torr, to prevent breakdown and measure the amplitude of the negative high-voltage pulse waveform. The solution load is designed to capture the short-pulse output of the PFL with a rise time of less than 25 ns and a voltage level of approximately −500 kV. The experimental results show that the output pulse can be used as a source to generate an intense relativistic electron beam at the gun for high-power relativistic applications.