Possible Mechanisms for Electric-Field-Free Gas Breakdown

Abstract

It was reported in the late 1960s [1] that gas breakdown occurs during explosive and electrical operation of magnetic flux compressor generators (FCGs). Recently [2,3], we reported on experimental evidence of the formation of plasma and its propagation in the gas within the FCG with no electric field in the system. We named this phenomenon electric-field-free gas breakdown. In this paper, we discuss possible mechanisms for this type of gas breakdown. The first mechanism is related to the ionization of the gas by a sequence of shock processes caused by an explosively expanding metallic armature within an FCG. The second mechanism is related to the ejection of high-speed particles from the explosively shocked metallic surface of an FCG armature.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA606559

Entities

People

  • E. F. Talantsev
  • J. Baird
  • L. L. Altgilbers
  • S. I. Shkuratov

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Counter IED
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Armatures
  • Ejection
  • Electric Discharges
  • Electric Fields
  • Energetic Materials
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosives
  • Gas Breakdown
  • Gas Discharges
  • Generators
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Flux
  • Materials
  • Particles
  • Photographs
  • Pulsed Power
  • Schematic Diagrams

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Electrical Engineering