Low pressure gas discharge switch

Abstract

For a low-pressure gas discharge switch, at least two main electrodes are arranged at least a distance d from each other, the electrodes in an arcing chamber forming a cathode and an anode of a discharge path for the low-pressure gas discharge. The gas discharge is triggered by increasing the electron density in a cathode cavity, at least the cathode in its disk-shaped area having at least one aperture, the cathode and anode apertures preferably being opposite and aligned with each other, for triggering the discharge. An arrangement generating a magnetic field superimposed on the discharge between the main electrodes (1, 1a, 2, 2a) are assigned to the main electrodes (1, 1a, 2, 2a), with which either a predominantly parallel magnetic field is generated or a predominantly perpendicular one, with regard to the direction of current in the discharge. The magnetic field generator may include slot arrangements (11, 11′, 21, 21′) in hollow cylinders (1b, 2b), which are part of the anode (1) and cathode (2) configured as hollow electrodes, or may be realized in the associated current supply lines.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.