Polarity effect for exploding wires in a vacuum

Abstract

Experimental evidence for a strong influence of the radial electric field on energy deposition into thin metal wires during their electrical explosion in vacuum is presented. Explosion of the metal wire with a positive polarity when the radial electric field "pushes" electrons into the wire results in twice as much deposited energy than with the negative polarity when the radial field "expels" electrons from the wires. Moreover, the axial structure of the deposited energy changes. This effect can be explained by the influence of radial electric field on electronic emission and on vapor breakdown along the wire surface.