INVESTIGATION OF CURRENT DISTRIBUTION IN A COAXIAL PLASMA GUN (ISSLEDOVANIE RASPREDELENIYA TOKA V KOAKSIALNOI PLAZMENNOI PUSHKE),
Abstract
Current distribution along the length of coaxial plasma guns was studied using differential magnetic probes and high speed photography. It is shown that several current sheets are initially formed during the discharge in the plasma gun. The discharge current of the capacitor bank leads to fusion of the current sheets during its later stage. Current sheet motion was also studied using magnetic probes and high speed photography. A comparison of plasmoid and current sheet speeds indicates that these are not identical and in fact plasmoid motion exceeds the sheet motion by a factor of about seven. Plasmoid acceleration is not a result of electrodynamic acceleration but rather is due to the drift of plasma in the crossed magnetic and electric fields existing in the plasma gun ahead of the current sheet. This is consistent with the magnitude of the Larmour radius, which turns out to be comparable to the plasma gun diameter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 08, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0676535
Entities
People
- I. M. Zolototrubov
- V. A. Kiselev
- Yu. M. Novikov
Organizations
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center