Experimental determination of plasma armature properties using RGS-II, a railgun simulator

Mary C. Baker; Byron D. Barrett; Todd J. Pickens; William C. Nunnally; James E. Thompson

Experimental determination of plasma armature properties using RGS-II, a railgun simulator

Mary C. Baker, Byron D. Barrett, Todd J. Pickens, William C. Nunnally, James E. Thompson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

A description is given of an experimental device, RGS-II, that provides a moving plasma armature without a projectile, at current and velocity levels similar to those in railguns, by simulating the mass of the projectile with the magnetic back pressure of a muzzle-fed current pulse. This device is ideally suited for the implementation of diagnostic techniques because it lacks a projectile in the bore. Several diagnostic techniques have been used on the system to create a database of information on high-current, moving plasma armatures. In addition to the standard arc current and voltage probes, the railgun simulator used magnetic field probes to determine the plasma velocity and current density profile, laser transmission ports to determine the optical transmission properties of the plasma, and time-resolved interferometry and spectroscopy to determine plasma density, temperature, and primary plasma constituents. The data allow a preliminary picture to be drawn regarding the moving plasma arc and its properties.

Original language	English
Pages	39
Number of pages	1
State	Published - 1989
Event	IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science 1989 - Buffalo, NY, USA Duration: May 22 1989 → May 24 1989

Conference

Conference	IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science 1989
City	Buffalo, NY, USA
Period	05/22/89 → 05/24/89

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@conference{59d156f3f3b145dea0eabb47d195828d,

title = "Experimental determination of plasma armature properties using RGS-II, a railgun simulator",

abstract = "A description is given of an experimental device, RGS-II, that provides a moving plasma armature without a projectile, at current and velocity levels similar to those in railguns, by simulating the mass of the projectile with the magnetic back pressure of a muzzle-fed current pulse. This device is ideally suited for the implementation of diagnostic techniques because it lacks a projectile in the bore. Several diagnostic techniques have been used on the system to create a database of information on high-current, moving plasma armatures. In addition to the standard arc current and voltage probes, the railgun simulator used magnetic field probes to determine the plasma velocity and current density profile, laser transmission ports to determine the optical transmission properties of the plasma, and time-resolved interferometry and spectroscopy to determine plasma density, temperature, and primary plasma constituents. The data allow a preliminary picture to be drawn regarding the moving plasma arc and its properties.",

author = "Baker, {Mary C.} and Barrett, {Byron D.} and Pickens, {Todd J.} and Nunnally, {William C.} and Thompson, {James E.}",

year = "1989",

language = "English",

pages = "39",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Experimental determination of plasma armature properties using RGS-II, a railgun simulator

AU - Baker, Mary C.

AU - Barrett, Byron D.

AU - Pickens, Todd J.

AU - Nunnally, William C.

AU - Thompson, James E.

PY - 1989

Y1 - 1989

N2 - A description is given of an experimental device, RGS-II, that provides a moving plasma armature without a projectile, at current and velocity levels similar to those in railguns, by simulating the mass of the projectile with the magnetic back pressure of a muzzle-fed current pulse. This device is ideally suited for the implementation of diagnostic techniques because it lacks a projectile in the bore. Several diagnostic techniques have been used on the system to create a database of information on high-current, moving plasma armatures. In addition to the standard arc current and voltage probes, the railgun simulator used magnetic field probes to determine the plasma velocity and current density profile, laser transmission ports to determine the optical transmission properties of the plasma, and time-resolved interferometry and spectroscopy to determine plasma density, temperature, and primary plasma constituents. The data allow a preliminary picture to be drawn regarding the moving plasma arc and its properties.

AB - A description is given of an experimental device, RGS-II, that provides a moving plasma armature without a projectile, at current and velocity levels similar to those in railguns, by simulating the mass of the projectile with the magnetic back pressure of a muzzle-fed current pulse. This device is ideally suited for the implementation of diagnostic techniques because it lacks a projectile in the bore. Several diagnostic techniques have been used on the system to create a database of information on high-current, moving plasma armatures. In addition to the standard arc current and voltage probes, the railgun simulator used magnetic field probes to determine the plasma velocity and current density profile, laser transmission ports to determine the optical transmission properties of the plasma, and time-resolved interferometry and spectroscopy to determine plasma density, temperature, and primary plasma constituents. The data allow a preliminary picture to be drawn regarding the moving plasma arc and its properties.

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M3 - Paper

AN - SCOPUS:0024910195

SP - 39

Y2 - 22 May 1989 through 24 May 1989

ER -