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Updated: May 31, 2026

Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues
Published on: May 15, 2021
Powered oscillator using ignitron switches
P D Nonn1, A P Blair, K J McCollam
1Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Abstract:
A 10-MVA-scale resonant oscillator, powered by a pulse-forming network and switched with a pair of commutating mercury ignitrons, was developed for the MST reversed-field pinch plasma-confinement experiment. A novel feature of this circuit is its commutation mechanism, wherein each turning on of one ignitron causes a reverse voltage transient that turns off the other. Two of these oscillators are used in oscillating-field current-drive tests, in which they are capable of nearly 1MW net input power to the plasma, with resonant frequencies of a few 100 Hz for pulse durations of a few tens of ms, being precharged for immediate full amplitude. We describe the circuit and its operation, and discuss features that allow reliable, high-current commutation of the ignitrons and exploit their low switching impedance.
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