Time-dependent calculations of Loeb and Kaplan´s scaling laws for high-pressure capillary discharges using FRED code

Summary form only given. A capillary discharge is used to generate a low-temperature, high-density plasma via an ablation mechanism of the liner material based on the theory of ablation-controlled arcs. Such electrothermal plasma sources are used on two facilities at N.C. State University, SIRENS and PIPE facilities. Scaling laws derived by A. Loeb and Z. Kaplan describe the plasma properties for such capillary discharges such as temperature, heat flux, resistivity, ablation, pressure, and density. Calculations were done using an iterative numeric scheme in the program FRED for a series of shots on the PIPE device, using the measured discharge current as input to the code. Other discharge parameters are compared to FRED calculations. Results are compared to time-averaged temperatures obtained from optical emission spectroscopy, and other plasma parameters obtained from ODIN code calculations. Modifications are currently being employed to include a library for various liner materials.