Effect of the plasma production rate on the implosion dynamics of cylindrical wire/fiber arrays with a profiled linear mass

Abstract

Results are presented from experimental studies on the implosion of arrays made of wires and metalized fibers under the action of current pulses with an amplitude of up to 3.5 MA at the Angara-5-1 facility. The effect of the parameters of an additional linear mass of bismuth and gold deposited on the wires/fibers is investigated. It is examined how the material of the wires/fibers and the metal coating deposited on them affect the penetration of the plasma with the frozen-in magnetic field into a cylindrical array. Information on the plasma production rate \(\dot m_{Bi}\) for different metals is obtained by analyzing optical streak images of imploding arrays. The plasma production rate for cylindrical arrays made of the kapron fibers coated with bismuth is determined. For the initial array radius of R0 = 1 cm and discharge current of I = 1 MA, the plasma production rate is found to be \(\dot m_{Bi} \approx 0.095 \pm 0.015\) μg/(cm2 ns).