Long-life triggered spark gap

Claim 1

A triggered spark gap for pulsed CO 2 laser power conditioners comprising: a gas-tight housing; a pair of cap-shaped electrodes disposed within said housing at opposite ends thereof and spaced apart a distance no greater than 0.105±0.005 inches, said electrodes being fabricated of copper infiltrated tungsten material and being adapted to be coupled across a voltage to be switched, one of said electrodes at one end of said housing having an electrode opening therein; an elongated trigger electrode having one end thereof forming an electrode tip and the other end thereof adapted to be coupled to a source of trigger voltage; trigger electrode support means fabricated of an electrical insulating material for supporting said trigger electrode with said electrode tip thereof substantially at the center of said electrode opening so that a space is defined between said electrode tip and said electrode opening, said trigger electrode support means being mounted on said one housing end and extending only a part of the distance between said housing end and said one electrode so that no part of said trigger electrode support means projects into said space between said trigger electrode tip and said electrode opening; and a mixture of gases in said housing filling the space between said cup-shaped electrodes and said space between said trigger electrode tip and said electrode opening, said mixture of gases consisting of 69% nitrogen, 1% oxygen and 30% xenon.