Stratification in Al and Cu foils exploded in vacuum

Abstract

An experiment with exploding foils was carried out at a current density of 0.7 × 108 A/cm2 through the foil with a current density rise rate of about 1015 A/cm2 s. To record the strata arising during the foil explosions, a two-frame radiographic system was used that allowed tracing the dynamics of strata formation within one shot. The original striation wavelength was 20–26 μm. It was observed that as the energy deposition to a foil stopped, the striation wavelength increased at a rate of ∼(5–9) × 103 cm/s. It is supposed that the most probable reason for the stratification is the thermal instability that develops due to an increase in the resistivity of the metal with temperature.