Investigations of Electric Discharge Systems

At Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) from the middle of 60^th of the XX century, the investigations of pulsed electric arcs burning in hydrogen, nitrogen, argon etc., at high initial density are carried out. For this time, many powerful pulsed plasmatrons, electrodischarge light gas launchers, and experimental facilities had been developed. The highest in the world practice energy of 10 MJ into the discharge chamber of pulsed plasmatron, supplied from the shock generator, was input. Many experimental data on processes in the discharge chambers of the launchers and plasmatrons were obtained. Eight electrodischarge launchers of caliber 12.7 - 57 mm, including combined ones, operating at hydrogen of initial pressure up to 120 MPa, current up to 2 MA, and energy input up to 2 MJ had been developed. The bodies of 0.2 g to ~ 9 km/s, 12 g to ~ 6 km/s, and 300 g to ~ 2 km/s were launched. Unique diagnostic plasmatron, equipped with optical and X-ray instrumentations, operating at hydrogen at initial pressure up to 150 MPa, and pulsed pressure up to 1000 MPa had been developed and used at investigations.