Plasma analysis of a large-bore, arc-driven railgun

Some recent experimental data obtained from the large-bore railgun CHECMATE are analyzed to determine the electrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of the plasma armature. Experimental values of the arc length and muzzle voltage, as well as an experimentally fitted current-density profile, are used in the analysis. With these data used as input, model calculations are undertaken to determine the remaining properties of the arc. Results of the data analysis are ten compared with some purely theoretical calculations, and possible reasons for the differences are noted and discussed. Among other findings it appears that thetotal mass of the arc remains nearly constant over the acceleration time.<
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