Thermal ionization of an aluminum surface by pulsed megagauss field

The thermal ionization of the surface of thick metal, in response to a pulsed multi-megagauss magnetic field, is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Time-resolved imaging, pyrometry, spectroscopy, and laser shadowgraphy are used for characterization. Radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations are also used, which include the Eulerian MHRDR code and the Lagrangian RAVEN UP codes. An analytic calculation indicates ohmic heating that must produce plasma, which is consistent with numerical and experimental observations.