Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 11, 2401008 (2016)

Regular Articles

Study on Operating Principle of Cockcroft-Walton Circuit to Produce Plasmas Using High-Voltage Discharge
Takao FUKUYAMA and Keiichi SUGIHARA1)
Faculty of Education, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
1)Graduate School of Education, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
(Received 29 November 2015 / Accepted 12 January 2016 / Published 24 February 2016)

Abstract

The basis of the operating principle of Cockcroft-Walton (CW) circuit, which produces a high-voltage, is studied using a simulator of an electrical circuit. The CW circuit experimentally contributed to the breakthrough of nuclear physics for the development of a particle accelerator. High-voltage discharges play an important role not only in producing plasmas but are also applicable in a wide variety of fields. However, studies on the operating principle of CW circuits are not sufficient, though improvement and application of it have been studied. Through our studies, we have found that a part of electrical charge stored in the capacitors remains, the output value of the voltage can be expressed in recurrence formula, and more time is needed for boosting circuits that have higher number of steps. Furthermore, we studied combinations between frequencies of alternating current and capacitance in a capacitor in order to boost effectively.

Keywords

high-voltage generator, booster circuit, boost effectively, Cockcroft-Walton circuit, atmospheric discharge

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.11.2401008

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