solenoid contains a Marx generator as shown in Fig. 1. A plastic U-channel provides a backbone for the Marx generator components that form the circuit in Fig. 2. Inductors are used instead of resistors for fast charging that is enhanced by the solenoid. Additionally, the solenoid provides electric-field grading to reduce stresses on the components inside and suppresses light and sound emission. To prevent flashover, the inductors are immersed in mineral oil and the capacitor leads insulated with silicone. The MC is charged by alternating current (AC) from a neon sign transformer (NST). NSTs are convenient here and widely used for SGTTs because their current-limited output tolerates short circuiting.

The spark gaps are adjusted so that when the charging voltage is near a maximum the gaps close to erect the Marx generator. Just as in a SGTT, this leads to a pulsed output that repeats at roughly twice the NST AC frequency, or 120 Hz, made of bursts of radio-frequency high voltage. Fig. 3 shows a typical waveform captured by measuring the solenoid base current $I_s$. The burst in Fig. 3(b) is similar to that of a SGTT powered by the same NST, though not identical. Here, the waveform is 