PLASMA PRODUCTION BY KINETIC IMPACT
Abstract
High speed photographic and time-resolved spectrographic observations were made of the head-on collision of two hypervelocity copper jets formed from metal-lined explosive charges. Framing camera observations of the collision in air and in a low pressure helium atmosphere indicate that a region of intense luminosity is created about the point of impact. The composition of the collision light over the visible region is that of a continuum with superposed copper spectral lines. A time-resolved spectral record in the 4400-5300A region of a collision in helium shows that an intense continuum first appears for about 5 micro-sec. The continuum intensity then decreases and a copper emission line spectrum emerges, consisting of both neutral and first-ionized copper lines. The ionized copper lines originate from energy levels that are about 25 ev above the neutral atom ground state. Several neutral copper lines are shown to possess combined instrumentation and resonance-broadened profiles. Estimates of the neutral copper atom density in the jet collision plasma are derived from line halfwidth measurements resulting from theoretical profile fits to the observed line shapes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0616636
Entities
People
- B. J. Pernick
- S. J. Lukasik
Organizations
- Stevens Institute of Technology