ISSN:
1089-7623
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
The laser-prearc railgun, that utilizes the phenomenon of laser-induced arc formation, was constructed and tested with plastic pellet projectiles. We envision our railgun as especially well suited as a solid hydrogen pellet injector for magnetic confinement fusion. The system consisted of a gas gun for preacceleration of a pellet and a railgun for its primary acceleration. A Q-switched ruby laser was used to induce electrical breakdown of propellant helium gas behind a dielectric pellet in the railgun. The present railgun was shown to accelerate a plastic pellet up to a velocity of 2.4 km/s.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1142561
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