OPTIMIZATION OF AN ELECTROTHERMAL CAPILLARY

This paper describes a simple, integrated model of an electrothermal c apillary and the electric circuit powering it. An isothermal, time-dep endent model has been developed, allowing for axial variations in the pressure and including the influence of the exploding wire on the earl y stages of the discharge. Predictions from the model are in good agre ement with experimental results. The advantage of the model is that it yields a set of ordinary differential equations, readily served numer ically, and it is therefore easily adapted to optimization problems. H ere we use it to optimize capillary geometry and to explore different arrangements of the electrical input.