Phase transitions in metal under fast selfheating by high-power current pulse

A numerical simulation of the initial stage of tungsten wire selfheating by a high-power microsecond current pulse has been carried out. A wide-range semiempirical equation of state to account for the effects of melting and evaporation of tungsten at high temperatures was used. The simulation results demonstrate that the phase transitions in metal, as well as possibility of realization of metastable liquid states have a considerable influence on the dynamics of the initial stage of electrical explosion under the effect of high-power current pulse.