Traveling wave vacuum spark and a travelling wave flashlamp

Claim 1

An improved traveling wave fast rise time excitation system for production of laser emission comprising first and second flat plate transmission lines separated by an insulating sheet of polyethylene, said first transmission line separated across the middle to form spaced plate sections, an elongated electrode secured to each spaced plate section in the space formed between said plate sections facing each other in parallel alignment with a spacing between said electrodes, a chamber formed by an upper window enclosing said spacing between said spaced plate sections, means for adding a gas within said chamber, a plurality of equally spaced shorting switches secured to one edge of said flat plate transmission lines, and a switch means and conductors secured to said shorting electrodes to sequentially fire each of said switches, in order, to producE an electromagnetic wave at an angle with respect to said electrodes on said spaced plate, the improvement comprising; a plurality of equally spaced small pin-like electrodes secured to each of said elongated electrodes in spaced relationship along the entire length thereof and insulated from said plate transmission line; and means for exciting a gas within said chamber and simultaneously vaporizing and ionizing said pin-like electrodes progressively along the length of said plate electrode from one end to the other end to produce a plasma within said chamber.