The Initial Stage of Neck Formation in an X-Pinch

A model is proposed to describe the initial stage of neck formation in an X-pinch that proceeds in three stages: the electrical explosion of metal wires that generates the X-pinch; the expansion of the wire material that occurs due to an excess of the gas-kinetic pressure over the pressure of the magnetic field. The model allows one to predict the minimum rate of current rise at which the formation of a "hot spot" in an X-pinch is possible. The minimum current rise rate is determined by the thermodynamic parameters of the wires at a critical point; it is of the order of 1 kA/ns.