Recent muzzle-fed railgun experiment on metal armature for arcless acceleration

The authors have continued the experimental and theoretical analysis of acceleration with metal armatures and muzzle-fed railguns, which earlier produced arcless accelerations up to V/spl sim/2.5 km/s. They had to carry out a lot of work both for improving the structure of the channel itself and to obtain a better understanding of electrodynamic processes. A series of experimental measurements were performed on channel (10 mm/spl times/10 mm) deformation at various current levels. The mathematical model providing the 3-D simulation of processes in an electrodynamics accelerator channel includes the Maxwell system of equations in a quasi-stationary approximation, the heat conduction equation and the equation for kinematic characteristics of the accelerated armature. For systems of a large calibre, the authors suggest an improved channel design.