Observation of Laser Radiation Scattering Effects in Explosion Products of Thin Molybdenum Wires

• Published in: Plasma physics reports 2022-02, Vol.48 (2), p.121-130
• Main Authors: Romanova, V. M., Tilikin, I. N., Ter-Oganesyan, A. E., Mingaleev, A. R., Shelkovenko, T. A., Khirianova, A. I., Pikuz, S. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic; Explosions; Interferometry; Molecular; Molybdenum; Optical and Plasma Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Plasma Diagnostics; Radiation; Scattering; Shadows
• ISSN: 1063-780X; 1562-6938
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063780X2202012X

Results of laser probing of products of electrical explosion of thin molybdenum wires in air (20 kV, 10 kA, 350 ns) are presented. Shadow and interferometric images of the discharge gap were obtained simultaneously using probing radiation at two wavelengths (λ 1 = 1064 nm and λ 2 = 532 nm). Comparison of images revealed that an increase in the probing wavelength results in substantial increase in transparency of the so-called core, the most long-lived and relatively dense remnants of the wire material, at a relatively late stage of expansion (one microsecond and more after beginning of current). These observations can be explained if we consider that the core material to a large extent consists of small, on the order of one hundred nanometers, particles, scattering from which obeys the Rayleigh dependence on wavelength (~λ –4 ). Presented results show that scattering should certainly be taken into account when analyzing the data of shadow and interferometric probing in studies of electrical explosion of wires.