Current distribution measurements inside an electromagnetic plasma gun operated in a gas-puff mode

Measurements are presented of the time-dependent current distribution inside a coaxial electromagnetic plasma gun. The measurements are carried out using an array of six axially distributed dual-Rogowski coils in a balanced circuit configuration. The radial current distributions indicate that operation in the gas-puff mode, i.e., the mode in which the electrode voltage is applied before injection of the gas, results in a stationary ionization front consistent with the presence of a plasma deflagration. The effects of varying the bank capacitance, transmission line inductance, and applied electrode voltage were studied over the range from 14 to 112 mu F, 50 to 200 nH, and 1 to 3 kV, respectively. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3526603]