Energy compression of nanosecond high-voltage pulses based on two-stage hybrid scheme

Test results of high-voltage subnanosecond pulse generator with a hybrid, two-stage energy compression scheme are presented. After the first compression section with a gas discharger, a ferrite-filled gyromagnetic nonlinear transmitting line is used. The offered technical solution makes it possible to increase the voltage pulse amplitude from -185 kV to -325 kV, with a 2-ns pulse rise time minimized down to ∼180 ps. For the small output voltage amplitude of -240 kV, the shortest pulse front of ∼85 ps was obtained. The generator with maximum amplitude was utilized to form an ultra-short flow of runaway electrons in air-filled discharge gap with particles' energy approaching to 700 keV.