Abstract
As pulsed light sources, exploding wires can be used to provide intense narrow spectral lines as well as the characteristic continuum of very high temperature blackbodies. The surface brightness depends on the wire material and conditions under which the wire is exploded. Optimum conditions for 100–500-μsec long light pulses from wires exploded in air have been found for tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum wires 0.005 to 0.010 in. in diameter for energy inputs of 3000 J or more. Wires exploded in small diameter vacuum tubes (1–20 μ of Hg) radiate as blackbodies, but narrow line spectra are produced in enclosures of larger dimensions. In the visible and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum the spectral radiance of air-exploded wires is one to three orders of magnitude greater than that of conventional flash lamps. Vacuum-exploded wires have spectral radiance another factor of eight greater. Excitation of various optical masers with exploding wires is discussed.
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