A Study of Plasma Parameters in a Capillary Discharge With Calculations Using Ideal and Nonideal Plasma Models for Comparison With Experiment

A study of the plasma parameters in a capillary discharge was conducted using an experimental electrothermal plasma facility. The experimental results are compared to calculations using ideal and nonideal formulas of the Coulomb logarithm in the plasma electrical conductivity model to determine the nature of the plasma regime. Calculations are compared to the measured ablated mass, the measured electrical conductivity. Other calculated parameters are compared to results from similar and typical discharges. The measured ablated mass falls in between the ideal and nonideal calculations suggesting that the plasma is neither ideal nor nonideal; however, the linear fit of the experimental and calculated values shows divergence in the ideal calculations at higher peak currents. Measured plasma electrical conductivity is close to the ideal model predictions at lower values of the peak discharge current and approaches the nonideal model predictions at higher peak currents; the shape of the measured conductivity follows that of the nonideal model.