Corona-free electrical explosion of polyimide-coated tungsten wire in vacuum.
We present experimental evidence of corona-free electrical explosion of dielectric-coated W wire in vacuum. A fast current rise of approximately 150 A/ns and a coating of 2 microm polyimide are both needed to achieve the corona-free regime of explosion. Breakdown is absent in corona-free explosion; the wire remains resistive, and this allows anomalously high energy deposition (approximately 20 times atomization enthalpy). MHD simulations reproduce the main differences between corona and corona-free explosions. A corona-free explosion of a wire can be useful for the generation of a hot plasma column by direct energy deposition.
Sarkisov
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Ktech Corporation, 1300 Eubank Blvd., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123, USA.
Rosenthal
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Struve
K W
KW
McDaniel
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DH