Effect of the Initial State on the Efficiency of Acceleration in Electromagnetic Rail Launchers

Abstract

The possibility of stabilizing the plasma region in the channel of an electromagnetic rail launcher by limiting the spatial dimensions of this region and by changing the rate of current rise is studied (in the first case, a compound body “limiter—impactor” with an electric discharge between them is considered). The effect of the initial velocity of the compound body and the mass of the limiter on the acceleration dynamics is examined. It is shown that with such an approach, it is possible to considerably decrease the amplitude of fluctuations of the parameters in the plasma armature and the length of the plasma armature, and as a result, to increase the exit velocity of the impactor. The possibility of compacting the plasma region by increasing the current rise rate is examined for a linear change in current. The estimate obtained for the dependence of the time of compaction on the current rise rate coincides with results of numerical calculations.