A High Intensity Short Duration Spark Light Source

Abstract

The spark described here provides a high intensity light source, whose effective duration approaches 10⁻⁷ second. The light intensity is nine hundred times greater than that obtained using RG8U cable cut for 10⁻⁷ second duration discharge. The cable described here is coaxial with silver conductors fired on the dielectric, a compound of barium titanate. The gain in light intensity is apparently due to both the higher capacity of the barium titanate cable and its very low characteristic impedance.