Numerical simulation of electrical explosions in megagauss magnetic fields

Abstract

The paper reports on a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of electrical explosions of conductors in megagauss magnetic fields. It is shown that in a plane geometry, the time of plasma formation at the surface of a metal conductor does not depend on the rate of rise of the magnetic field and is determined by the properties of the metal; the absolute values of the magnetic field at which plasma is formed are 5±0.25 MGs for copper, 4.25±0.2 MGs for tungsten, 3.85±0.15 MGs for aluminum, and 3.6±0.25 MGs for titanium. In cylindrical geometry, the time of plasma formation does depend on the rate of field rise.