Megagauss Fields Generated in Explosive-Driven Flux Compression Devices

Abstract

Chemical explosives are used to compress magnetic flux trapped within a metallic liner system. In this way, final magnetic fields from 0.5 MG in a volume of 40 cm3 to 3.7 MG in 1.5 cm3 have been produced and carefully measured. The conversion efficiency of explosive into electromagnetic energy has been as high as 10% in the most favorable cases. The different compression experiments, including Bz and Bφ configurations in various geometrical arrangements, are described in detail and their results analyzed and discussed.