A New Type of Uncontrolled Multichannel Discharger for Nanosecond Switching of Megaampere Currents

A multichannel uncontrolled discharger based on staged breakdown of a multilayer film insulator with an enclosed foil plate under floating potential has been developed. An abrupt change in the foil potential after a single-channel initial self-breakdown between the foil and one of the electrodes leads to a multi-channel secondary breakdown between the foil and the other electrode. Cumulative plasma jets are generated in places of breakdown and they initiate the formation of the through current channels between the electrodes at the third stage of the breakdown. The developed multichannel discharger has a nanosecond response time and can be used to sharpen the voltage pulse front in the electric-discharge devices with megaampere currents. A similar method of formation of a multichannel breakdown can be used in the development of nanosecond switches of multimegaampere currents in the directions of thermonuclear research with the use of explosive magnetic energy generators.