Strongly coupled copper plasma generated by underwater electrical wire explosion.

A number of theoretical approaches to the analysis of the parameters of a discharge channel consisting of strongly coupled plasma generated in the process of underwater electrical wire explosion are presented. The analysis is based on experimental results obtained from discharges employing Cu wire. The obtained experimental data included electrical measurements and optical observations from which information about the dynamics of the water flow was extrapolated. Numerical calculation based on a 1D magnetohydrodynamic model was used to simulate the process of underwater wire explosion. A wide range conductivity model was applied in this calculation and good agreement with a set of experimental data was obtained. A method of determining the average temperature of the discharge channel based on this model and experimental results is proposed, and the limits of this method's applicability are discussed.