Experimental study of the impulsive discharge of a dense plasma into a submerged medium. Axisymmetric discharge regions

An experimental study is made of the impulsive discharge of a dense plasma into a submerged medium under conditions whereby the flow of the plasma is determined entirely by gasdynamic processes. The exerimental data is used as a basis for proposing the dimensionless parameter $\theta = q/p_{\infty}$ to determine the impulsive discharge regime. The quantity $q$ is the unit energy contribution to the discharge and $p_{\infty}$ is the pressure of the submerged medium. A regime associated with a barrel configuration characterized by the presence of shock-wave structures exists at $\theta > \theta_0$. At $\theta < \theta_0$, the regime is associated with a configuration that is mushroom-shaped. Under the conditions used in the present study, $\theta_0 = (1$–$5) \cdot 10^4$.