ACCELERATION OF THE WALL OF A CONDUCTING CYLINDER UNDERGOING THERMAL-EXPANSION IN A STRONG MAGNETIC-FIELD

Calculations are made of the abrupt acceleration of the wall of a cyli nder undergoing heating in a strong magnetic held. It is shown that th e expansion of a thin-walled liquid-metal cylinder resembles an ''expl osive instability''; in the model used, the velocity of the boundary a nd the azimuthal current increase without bound in a finite time. It i s noted that this effect may also be observed for an elastic shell, an d the influence of the electromagnetic retarding forces does not elimi nate the singularity in the solution, but merely shifts the time when it appears. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7850(97)003 06-6].