Enhancement Of Luminous Efficiency Of High Energy Flash Tubes Using High Power Pre-Ionisation

C. Raptis; V. I. Little; S. Majumdar

doi:10.1117/12.955260

14 September 1977 Enhancement Of Luminous Efficiency Of High Energy Flash Tubes Using High Power Pre-Ionisation

C. Raptis, V. I. Little, S. Majumdar

Proceedings Volume 0097, 12th Intl Congress on High Speed Photography; (1977) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955260
Event: 12th International Congress on High Speed Photography, 1976, Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Several kilojoule co-axial flash tubes and their 5-stage Marx generator are described. The maximum peak power input to the flash tubes is around 500 MWatts. Systematic time resolved measurements of flash tube characteristics for gas pressures from 20 to 210 Torr and for electrical pulses up to 80 KV are reported. Optimum E/p values have been obtained. Radio frequency preionisation was used, for the first time successfully in a flash tube, which resulted in the enhancement of the peak power output by up to a factor of at least 2 and the improvement of the flash tube operation. The dependence of the enhancement on the delay between preionising pulse and main pulse is analysed. Uniform discharges for E/p values as low as 10 volts/Torr.cm have been achieved for the first time in co-axial flash tubes using this technique. Advantages of this technique compared to previous pre-ionization techniques are considered. The system reported here appears to be superior in the following aspects: 1) Enhancement of peak output power, 2) Improvement of amplitude jitter of the flash tube output, 3) Life of the flash tube. Advantages of using such a system for high power lasers are discussed and comparisons with previous fast rise time co-axial flash tube systems are considered. The use of these flash tubes to pump iodine photodissociation laser and dye solutions is described.

Citation Download Citation

C. Raptis, V. I. Little, and S. Majumdar "Enhancement Of Luminous Efficiency Of High Energy Flash Tubes Using High Power Pre-Ionisation", Proc. SPIE 0097, 12th Intl Congress on High Speed Photography, (14 September 1977); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955260

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