2-DIMENSIONAL FIELD DIFFUSION AND MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC FLOW IN AN ELECTRIC EXPLOSION OF A MINIATURE SINGLE-TURN SOLENOID IN A MEGAGAUSS MAGNETIC-FIELD

Experimental and numerical studies are reported of high-temperature ma gnetohydrodynamic flows occurring in the explosion of miniature single -turn solenoids in an ultrastrong pulsed magnetic field with an amplit ude of 300-400 T and a risetime of about 100 mu s. Experiments with ex ploding single-turn solenoids (wall thickness of the order of 1 mm) us ing pulsed x-ray photography have revealed that the onset of deformati on of the solenoid is delayed in fields up to 300-350 T and the initia l geometric factor of the coil remains the same during the time taken by the current to rise to its maximum value. These phenomena are descr ibed for the first time in terms of the standard interpretation of the strength of a metal within the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic fl ow model with finite conductivity. (C) 1997 American Institute of Phys ics.