On potential efficiency of /spl sim/20 MJ helical EMG two-stage current pulse opening switches for generation of /spl sim/20 MA current pulses with /spl sim/0.1 /spl mu/s front in liner load

The paper presents estimates for systems containing the following principal elements: a bank of helical EMG /spl sim/20 MJ in final energy; the first stage explosive opening switches; the second stage opening switch, explosive or plasma-flow; liner load. The needed parameters of the helical EMG and the first stage opening switches are taken from experiments; characteristics of the second stage opening switches and the liner are calculated, mainly, in the zero-dimensional approximation with orientation to the experimental data. The principal results are as follows: in the load possible currents are up to 24 MA with rise time /spl sim/0.1 /spl mu/s and kinetic energy of the imploding liner is up to 4 MJ (velocity /spl sim/500 km/s); this is better, than in a similar explosive magnetic system PROCYON and close to stationary system PBFA-Z.