Exploding aluminum wire expansion rate with 1-4.5 kA per wire

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873975· OSTI ID:20216038

Sinars, D B ^[1]; Shelkovenko, T A ^[1]; Pikuz, S A ^[1]; Greenly, J B ^[1]; Hammer, D A ^[1]

---

1. Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

X-ray backlighter images (radiographs) of current-induced explosions of 12.7-25 {mu}m diam Al wires have been used to determine the expansion rate and internal structure of the dense wire cores. The current rises to 1-4.5 kA per wire in 350 ns, but voltage and current measurements show that the energy driving the explosion is deposited resistively during the first 40-50 ns, when the current is only a few hundred amperes per wire. A voltage collapse then occurs as a result of plasma formation around the wire, effectively terminating the energy deposition in the wire core. High-resolution radiographs obtained over the next 150-200 ns show the expanding wire cores to have significant axial stratification and foamlike structures with {approx}10 {mu}m scale lengths over most of the wire length before they disappear in the expansion process. The expansion rate of the portion of the wire cores that is dense enough to be detected by radiography is 1.4-2 {mu}m/ns commencing approximately 25 ns after the moment of the voltage collapse. (The sensitivity limit is equivalent to 0.2 {mu}m of solid density Al.) By 250 ns after the start of the current pulse, the detectable wire core diameter is 250 {mu}m, but it contains only about 30% of the initial wire material. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20216038
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 7; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
EXPANSION
EXPLODING WIRES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA PRODUCTION
THEORETICAL DATA