[Physics] Does a tesla coil produce electromagnetic pulses

Question

I am trying to create a source which produce electromagnetic pulses, i am doing a research on it I mean studying the variations and characterstics of electromagnetic pulses.

Answer 1

The Tesla coil is technically an air gap resonant transformer, So as a transformer you have a primary and secondary side of the transformer and the respective circuits. The primary side of the Tesla coil consists of the transformer coil (inductance), a capacitor and some means of switching or commutating of the primary circuit high voltage current. And it's in this switching mechanism that determine if you can obtain EMP output from your coil.

In some Tesla coils the switching is done electronically; a semiconductor switch is operated by an oscillator to interrupt the high voltage through the primary circuit. For this type of switching you may be able to create EMP, but if the LC time constant of the primary is significantly larger than the oscillator switching frequency, the EMP may not be of sizable strength.

Other coils create switching using a fixed spark gap. By these means two high voltage electrodes complete the primary circuit by arranging two high voltage electrodes (tungsten or carbon are often used) so that the voltage is able to jump the gap continuously. The gap produces essentially wide band, random switching, but the LC primary acts as a resonant filter, admitting primarily the design frequency of the circuit. For this design you essentially do not get a 'pulse' but rather wide band electromagnetic noise.

A third mechanism is a mechanically commutating switch. A motor drives a circular arrangement of high voltage electrodes that rotate and periodically approach a fixed electrode where a spark will fire. Like the electronic switch commutation, this means of switching also, if not matched to the LC of the primary may not produce a sizeable EMP. But if the rotational rate adjusted just right a sizable EMP can be produced.