Carbon composition and copper sulphate shunts for the measurement of submicrosecond high current pulses

Abstract

Current shunts have been made of carbon composition and of copper sulphate solution to measure pulsed currents up to 100 kA. The time constants of these shunts are calculated to be less than 1 ns. The pulse resistivity of carbon composition is nearly constant up to the maximum current density measured of 12 A mm−2, although electric breakdown effects were possibly observed with bare resistors. The isothermal pulse resistivity of saturated copper sulphate solution between copper electrodes is constant over the current density range 02-25 A mm−2. In practice heating may cause the resistivity to fall. Below this range the resistivity apparently rises owing to electrode surface effects.