A long conduction time compact torus plasma opening switch

Experiments to form and accelerate compact toroid (CT) plasmas have been performed on the 0.4-MJ Shiva Star fast capacitor bank at Phillips Laboratory. Theoretical investigations of employing a CT as a very fast opening switch are reported. A particular axisymmetric, geometrically complex switch design is studied with the help of 2-1/2-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic computer simulations. This design, called a magnetically-confined-plasma opening switch (McPOS), accumulates magnetic energy in an inductive store. Because of its intrinsic stability, the switch can conduct current for ten or more microseconds and can open in less than 100 ns-substantially less than the risetime of the capacitively produced electric current. A long conduction time compact torus plasma opening switch.>