The Influence of the Geometry and Power of a Pulsed Capillary Discharge on the Properties of Erosive Plasma

The results of the spectral study of a pulsed capillary discharge in the range of the relative capillary lengths of l/d = 5 and the discharge power densities of qs = 1 − 100 kW/mm2 are presented. The longitudinal profiles of the electron number density and temperature inside and on a short distance outside the capillary are measured. A good qualitative and quantitative agreement between the measured parameter profiles and the results of calculation based on the model of the expendable nozzle, which is valid for discharges in the "long" capillaries, was found. It is shown that a decrease in the relative length of the capillary, starting from l/d < 2.5, leads to a discrepancy between the experimental and calculated parameters profiles due to the increasing contribution of the electrode's evaporated substance to the total mass balance.