Plasma opening switch for the MOL generator

Problems related to creating a superpower pulsed current generator (Baikal project, {approx_equal}10 MV, {approx_equal}50 MA, {approx_equal}150 ns) for inertial confinement fusion are considered. In order to test the circuit design of the generator, the MOL unit (3.7 MA, 5 MV, 150 ns), in which a plasma opening switch (POS) is proposed for use as an output power sharpener, is now under construction. Results are presented from experimental testing of a number of proposals enabling the POS operation under the MOL conditions: (i) plasma guns were employed to connect the POS to the inductive storage circuit (ii) a separating discharger was used to avoid a POS reclosure and to switch the current to a load whose impedance was initially low and increased with time, and (iii) a programmable filling of the POS gap with plasma was implemented in order for the POS to pass a long current prepulse with parameters close to those in actual systems.