Superdetonation optical discharge waves in air (λ = 1.06 μ)

An experimental investigation was made of the superdetonation nature of the growth of an optical discharge plasma on thin tungsten filaments. The maximum recorded velocity of the ionization front growing on a filament 45 μ in diameter was 500 km/sec and the intensity of the emitted radiation was ~10¹⁰ W/cm². The velocity of the ionization front was inversely proportional to the filament diameter.