Generation of converging Strong Shock Waves using underwater electrical explosion of wire arrays

Summary form only given. (Results of generation of converging Strong Shock Waves (SSW) generated by underwater electrical explosion of cylindrical and spherical Cu and Al wire arrays are presented. High-current generators with stored energy of 10 kJ and 5 kJ and output current amplitudes up to 500 kA and 300 kA and rise time of around 350 ns and 1000 ns, respectively, were used to explode arrays with varying lengths, radii and number of wires. It was shown that the implosion of cylindrical and spherical SSW lead to generation of extreme state of water with pressure up to several tens of Mbar, density up to around 8 g/cm³ and temperature up to several tens of eV in the vicinity of the implosion axis or implosion origin. Hydrodynamic numerical simulations coupled with SESAME equation of state for water and the experimental data of the shock wave propagation, energy deposition rate to the array and light emission from the compressed water in the vicinity of the implosion axis were used to obtain the pressure, density and temperature profiles during the implosion.