Visualization of a Copper Wire Explosion in Atmospheric Pressure Air

Experimental and computational images of a 90-μm thick copper wire explosion in atmospheric pressure air are presented. A Marx generator is used to produce a pulsed current density into the wire with a maximum rate of rise of ~ 10
¹⁸
Am
^-2
s
^-1
. A multiphase numerical model includes mass and momentum conservation equations, thermofield ionization, Maxwell's equations, and heat transfer between the phases. Visual records of the experiment agree with the simulation results.