2D Axisymmetric vs 1D: A PIC/DSMC Model of Breakdown in Triggered Vacuum Spark Gaps

Last year at GEC14, we presented results of one-dimensional PIC/DSMC [1-2] simulations of breakdown in triggered vacuum spark gaps. In this talk, we extend the model to two-dimensional axisymmetric and compare the results to the previous 1D case. Specially, we vary the fraction of the cathode that emits electrons and neutrals (holding the total injection rates over the cathode surface constant) and show the effects of the higher dimensionality on the time to breakdown.\\[4pt] Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.\\[4pt] [1] C. K. Birdsall and A. B. Langdon, \textit{Plasma Physics via Computer Simulation}, McGraw-Hill, New York (2005).\\[0pt] [2] G. A. Bird, \textit{Molecular Gas Dynamics and the Direct Simulation of Gas Flows}, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK (1994).