Xenon flash tube

On Thu, 10 Sep 2015 15:35:45 -0500, "Tim Williams"
<tmoranwms@charter.net> wrote:

>
>"Jasen Betts" <jasen@xnet.co.nz> wrote in message 
>news:msovpa$qm1$2@gonzo.alcatraz...
>> On 2015-09-08, whit3rd <whit3rd@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at 1:33:20 PM UTC-7, amdx wrote:
>>>
>>>>    15 years ago I tried triggering one flashtube with the flash of
>>>> another one. I never got it to work. I didn't try increasing the 
>>>> voltage.
>>>
>>> It needs UV illumination of the cathode.  Either UV filtering in the 
>>> tube(s),
>>> or poor focusing of the illumination onto the target electrode will
>>> defeat the effect.   If the 'target' electrode is shaded, behind the 
>>> reflector
>>> of the flash, that'd explain the difficulty.
>>>
>>> Photothrystors are actually kind of interesting gadgets.
>>
>> Photothyratrons?
>
>A xenon flash tube is more of an ignitron, really.  I don't recall that 
>there's a name for a light-stimulated one, so photoignitron would be 
>descriptive, if nothing else.
>
>Tim

Big Marx generators often have their spark gaps fired by lasers. 

On Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:56:30 -0500, John S <Sophi.2@invalid.org> Gave
us:

>But that is a silicon device. It only becomes gaseous when its limits 
>are exceeded.

  Must have been what happened to you and accounts for the stench which
pervades whenever you make a post.