Electromagnetic macroparticle acceleration by a high pressure plasma

Abstract

Simple equations are used to infer approximate values of the major parameters of an unusual plasma which was used by Rashleigh and Marshall to accelerate 3-g macroparticles to high velocities (5.9 km/s). Subject to the assumptions made here, these results indicate that for the applied current of 300 kA and generated pressure of 1.1×108 N/m2, the temperature of the ionized copper plasma was 4413 kK and the electron number density was (81)×1025 m−3. It is recommended that future experiments of this type should incorporate instrumentation techniques which can provide direct experimental evidence on these parameters.