Measurement of the velocity skin effect [in railgun applications]

Experimental measurements were made of the velocity skin effect at velocities up to 50 m/s. The results agree with the values predicted by the model of J.P. Barber et al. (1988). However, the effect of the nonlinear permeability or spatially varying permeability is not considered in this model. At railgun velocities (km/s) and current densities (100 MA/m² and higher), the velocity skin effect is much more pronounced and will play a larger role in determining the current density and design of plasma armatures. Since the current distribution in the armature is usually a broad distribution in x , the x dependence becomes much more pronounced