Large Impulses of Self-Magnetic Origin

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Abstract
Two electrodes are considered in an axisymmetric configuration: a central cathode rod and a ringlike coaxial anode, with a relatively small axial displacement. This assembly is mounted on an insulated plenum, fed by a gas pulse. In coincidence, an electrical power pulse (currents up to 50 000 A, powers up to 10 MW) is delivered to the electrodes with a duration of 1 to 2 msec. It is demonstrated that, under well‐defined conditions, the resulting impulse has a predominantly self‐magnetic origin. Individual impulses are experimentally determined by means of angular momentum measurements of an inertial platform, free of any parasitic impulses. The experimental results are shown to be in good agreement with analytical predictions. It is found that the self‐magnetic impulse is directly proportional to the time integral of the square of the current. The proportionality coefficient is shown to depend only on the anode‐to‐cathode ratio of radii. This coefficient is also shown to be insensitive to other details of the configuration and, especially, independent of both the kind and flow rate of the gas feed.