A Multi-Gap Multi-Channel Gas Switch for the Linear Transformer Driver

A multi-gap and multi-channel gas switch with convexo-convex discal planet electrodes was designed and investigated. Eight gaps are formed in series by a trigger electrode, six intermediate electrodes and two high voltage electrodes with a uniform gap length of 5 ram. The self breakdown and triggered breakdown performance of the switch are reported. Both the delay time and jitter decrease with the increase in the trigger voltage, switching coefficient and the decrease in the trigger isolating resistor. The delay time of the switch is about 40 ns, and the jitter is less than 2 ns when charged with 4-85 kV and triggered by a voltage pule of -75 kV. The inductance of the switch is about 30 nH.

Optical Diagnostics of Multi-Gap Gas Switches for Linear Transformer Drivers

The trigger characteristics of a multi-gap gas switch with double insulating layers,a square-groove electrode supporter and a UV pre-ionizing structure are investigated aided by a high sensitivity fiber-bundle array detector, a UV fiber detector, and a framing camera, in addition to standard electrical diagnostics. The fiber-bundle-array detector is used to track the turn-on sequence of each electrode gap at a timing precision of 0.6 ns. Each fiber bundle, including five fibers with different azimuth angles, aims at the whole emitting area of each electrode gap and is fed to a photomultiplier tube. The UV fiber detector with a spectrum response of 260-320 nm,including a fused-quartz fiber of 200 μm in diameter and a solar-blinded photomultiplier tube, is adopted to study the effect of UV pre-ionizing on trigger characteristics. The framing camera,with a capacity of 4 frames per shot and an exposure time of 5 ns, is employed to capture the evolution of channel arcs. Based on the turn-on light signal of each electrode gap, the breakdown delay is divided into statistical delay and formative delay. A decrease in both of them, a smaller switch jitter and more channel arcs are observed with lower gas pressure. An increase in trigger voltage can reduce the statistical delay and its jitter, while higher trigger voltage has a relatively small influence on the formative delay and the number of channel arcs. With the UV pre-ionizing structure at 0.24 MPa gas pressure and 60 kV trigger voltage, the statistical delay and its jitter can be reduced by 1.8 ns and 0.67 ns, while the formative delay and its jitter can only be reduced by 0.5 ns and 0.25 ns.

Experimental Study of the Multi-gap Multi-channel Gas Spark Closing Switch

A coaxial multi-gap multi-channel spark switch with stainless-steel-spring ring gap electrodes is designed and investigated. The switch is triggered by a pulse applied to the cylindrical electrode outside the discharging channel through a parasitic capacitance coupling. The jitter of the switch is reduced by several short-distance gas gaps in series, and its inductance is reduced by a multi-channel discharge on account of the inductance isolation between the coils of the spring ring electrode. The experimental results indicate that the switch is of low inductance (15-30 nH), low jitter (-3 ns), and stable breakdown performance

Time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equations for multi-gap superconductors

We numerically solve the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equations for two-gap superconductors using the finite-element technique. The real-time simulation shows that at low magnetic field, the vortices in small-size samples tend to form clusters or other disorder structures. When the sample size is large, stripes appear in the pattern. These results are in good agreement with the previous experimental observations of the intriguing anomalous vortex pattern, providing a reliable theoretical basis for the future applications of multi-gap superconductors.

触发电压对±100kV多级多通道开关性能的影响

研制了一种用于快脉冲直线型脉冲变压器的±100 kV多级多通道火花开关,研究了触发电压极性、幅值对多级多通道火花开关触发性能的影响,分析了不同触发电压下开关各部分延时及抖动。研究结果表明:触发电压的极性对双极性多级多通道火花开关触发性能影响较小;开关的触发放电延时和抖动随着触发电压的增大而减小。进一步分析了多级多通道火花开关的触发击穿模式以及影响开关击穿延时和抖动的主要因素,提出了减小开关触发击穿延时及抖动的技术途径。

涂硼MRPC热中子探测器用于补偿中子测井的蒙特卡罗研究

本文利用蒙特卡罗方法模拟了涂硼多气隙电阻板室(Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber,MRPC)热中子探测器和3He正比计数管在常规条件和欠平衡条件下的补偿中子测井中的响应。模拟结果表明,使用涂硼MRPC热中子探测器时,得到近远探测器计数随孔隙度而增加,且与使用3He正比计数管时得到的结果基本一致,说明涂硼MRPC热中子探测器可用于补偿中子测井。

Garfield模拟工作气体对涂硼MRPC热中子探测器性能的影响

多气隙电阻板室(Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber,MRPC)是一种新型气体探测器,具有探测效率高和时间分辨好等优点,在内层玻璃涂硼后可用于热中子探测。不同的工作气体对涂硼MRPC热中子探测器的性能有很大影响。利用Garfield模拟了不同工作气体的汤生系数η、电子吸附系数α、漂移速度v、扩散系数D等物理参数,并计算给出了MRPC的时间分辨率σt、本征探测效率ε。通过模拟结果对工作气体进行优化,为探测器的实际制作和实验测试提供必要的指导。

Complete eigenmode analysis of a ladder-type multiple-gap resonant cavity

A theoretical model is developed for calculating the eigenmodes of the multi-gap resonant cavity. The structure of concern is a kind of ladder-type circuit, offering the advantages of easy fabrication, high characteristic impedance （R/Q）, and thermal capacity in the millimeter wave to THz regime. The eigenfunction expansion method is used to establish the field expressions for the gaps and the coupling region. Then, the match conditions at the interface are employed, which leads to a group of complicate boundary equations in the form of an infinite series. To facilitate the mathematical treatments and perform a highly efficient calculation, these boundary equations are transformed into the algebraic forms through the matrix representations. Finally, the concise dispersion equation is obtained. The roots of the dispersion equation include both the axial modes in the gaps, which include the fundamental and the high-order modes, and the cavity modes in the coupling region. Extensive numerical results are presented and the behaviors of the multi-gap resonant cavity are examined.

Design of a 10 MeV normal conducting CW proton linac based on equidistant multi-gap CH cavities

Continuous wave （CW） high current proton linacs have wide applications as the front end of high power proton machines. The low energy part of such a linac is the most difficult and there is currently no widely accepted solution. Based on the analysis of the focusing properties of the CW low energy proton linac, a 10 MeV low energy normal conducting proton linac based on equidistant seven-gap Cross-bar H-type （CH） cavities is proposed. The linac is composed of ten 7-gap CH cavities and the transverse focusing is maintained by quadrupole doublets located between the cavities. The total length of the linac is less than 6 meters and the average acceleration gradient is about 1.2 MeV/m. The electromagnetic properties of the cavities are investigated by Microwave Studio. At the nominal acceleration gradient the maximum surface electric field in the cavities is less than 1.3 times the Kilpatrick limit, and the Ohmic loss of each cavity is less than 35 kW. Multi-particle beam dynamics simulations are performed with Tracewin code, and the results show that the beam dynamics of the linac are quite stable, the linac has the capability to accelerate up to 30 mA beam with acceptable dynamics behavior.

Study of MRPC technology for BESIII endcap-TOF upgrade

Purpose In order to improve the charged particle identi-fication capability,end-cap time-of-flight(ETOF)detector of the Beijing Spectrometer(BESIII)has been upgraded with multi-gap resistive plate chamber(MRPC)technology,aiming at an overall time resolution of 80 ps for minimum-ionization particles to extend the K/πseparation(2σ)momentum range to 1.4 GeV/c.Methods The previous version of ETOF in BESIII consisted of plastic scintillators.The multi-hit events distort both shape and amplitude of the output signals.MRPC technique was chosen for the BESIII ETOF upgrade as it provides high time resolution and high detection efficiency,is of relatively low cost and is insensitive to neutral particles.Most importantly,the fine segmentation of the MRPC readout stripes can suppress multi-hit events effectively.Results The final design of MRPC module for ETOF is characterized by double-stack(2×6)structure,dual-end readout mode and precision electronics.To batch-produce and test these MRPC modules,a series of tools and production procedures as well as related performance simulation and test methods were developed.Results showed that each MRPC module’s intrinsic time resolution(including the electronics contribution)is around 50 ps and the efficiency is better than 97%.The overall performance of the upgraded ETOF is better than the designed index.The new ETOF has been successfully installed at BESIII and run in 2016.