Abstract
IF a heavy current is discharged through a very thin wire, the wire disintegrates or ‘explodes’ with a brilliant flash of light. Considerable noise accompanies the flash, a shock wave is emitted, and an expanding cloud of disintegration products is formed. It has been shown that exploding wires may be used for coating glass, etc.1. They may also serve as convenient sources of light of high intensity and short duration2. It was found, by means of photographic photometric reduction in four regions of the spectrum, that a copper wire of 2.5 cm. length and 0.0080 cm. diameter, exploded with 17.5 kV. peak voltage and 1.9 µfd. capacitance, gives a total emission of 6.5 × 108 watts/cm.2. This amount can be increased with increasing voltage and capacitance.
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References
Conn, W. M., Phys. Rev., 79, 213 (1950).
Conn, W. M., J. Opt. Soc. Amer., 41, 445 (1951).
Kramer, J., Z. Phys., 128, 538 (1950); 129, 34 (1951).
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CONN, W. A New Effect Observed in Connexion with Electrically ‘Exploded’ Wires. Nature 169, 150–151 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/169150b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/169150b0
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