Asher Karni, 50, is accused of being the middleman for a Pakistani company's purchase of dozens of triggered spark gaps _ electronic devices that can be used to trigger nuclear weapons.
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Sprytrons are able to handle higher currents; krytrons tend to be used for triggering a secondary switch, e . g ., a triggered spark gap, while sprytrons are usually connected directly to the load.
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Karni, 50, who lives in South Africa, was arrested at Denver International Airport on Jan . 2 and accused of sending to Pakistan hundreds of triggered spark gaps _ high-speed electrical switches capable of sending synchronized electronic pulses.
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Variations of the thyratron idea are the krytron, the sprytron, the ignitron, and the triggered spark gap, all still used today in special applications, such as nuclear weapons ( krytron ) and AC / DC-AC power transmission ( ignitron ).
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The criminal case against Karni centers on his efforts to buy devices called triggered spark gaps from PerkinElmer Optoelectronics of Salem, Mass . The devices can be used in machines to break up kidney stones, but exports are restricted because they also are key to triggering nuclear detonations.
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Asher Karni, who heads a South African company, is accused of being the middleman for a Pakistani company's purchase of dozens of triggered spark gaps _ electronic devices that can be used to trigger nuclear weapons _ allegedly using an elaborate scheme to try to get around U . S . export restrictions to Pakistan.
