Methods of controlled formation of instabilities during the electrical explosion of thin foils

The results of a study of the electrical explosion of aluminum foils with an artificial periodic surface structure created by laser engraving are presented.Experiments were carried out on pulsed high-current generators BIN(270 kA,300 kV,100 ns)and KING(200 kA,40 kV,200 ns)with Al foil of thicknesses 16 and 4μm,respectively.Images of the exploded foils were recorded by point projection radiography in the radiation from hybrid X-pinches.It is found that the application of an artificial periodic structure to the foil leads to a much more uniform and well-defined periodic structure of the exploded foil.Images recorded in the UV range using a microchannel-plate-intensified detector show that the radiation from a surface-modified foil is more uniform along the entire length and width of the foil than that from a foil without modification.

Explosion dynamics of thin flat foils at high current density

This paper presents characteristic features of the explosion of thin flat foils for currents and pulse risetimes ranging from 8 kA at 350 ns to1000 kA at ∼100 ns. Foils made of aluminum, copper, nickel, and titanium with thicknesses of 1–100 μm are tested. Various diagnostics inthe optical, UV, and x-ray spectral ranges are used to image the exploding foils from initial breakdown to complete destruction or pinching.It is shown that foil explosion is a complex process that depends on many factors, but features common to all foils are found that do notdepend on the parameters of the generators or, accordingly, on the energy deposited in the foil: for example, the breakdown of flat foils underdifferent conditions occurs at the edges of the foil. For the first time, the formation of a precursor over the central part of the foil is shown,which significantly changes the dynamics of the foil explosion.

Core structure and secondary breakdown of an exploding wire in the current-pause regime

The results of experiments with rapidly exploding thin conductors inthe current-pause regime are presented.Copper wires 25mmin diameter and 12 mm in length serve as loads for a GVP pulsed generator based on a low-inductance capacitor.The generator produces current pulses of up to 10 kA with dI/dt up to 50 A/ns.A 100–800-ns current-pause regime is obtained for charging voltages of 10–15 kV.The discharge channel structure is studied by shadow photography using 0.53-mm,10-ns second-harmonic pulses from aNd31:YAG laser.In the experiments,three types of secondary breakdown are observed,with different symmetry types,different current-pause durations,and different dependences on the energy deposited into the wire during its resistive heating.All of these breakdown types develop inside a tubular core that is produced in the current-pause stage and that remains almost undamaged by the breakdown.