The technology of pulsed high field magnets

Different methods for generating strong pulsed magnetic fields are briefly discussed with a view to applications in experimental physics. The methods described involve: wire-wound coils (<70 T, 10 ms -1 ms), solid and polyhelix coils (<100 T, approximately=1 ms), destructive single-turn coils ( approximately=300 T, approximately=2 mu s), magnetic-flux-compression techniques (<1000 T, approximately=1 mu s), and laser-generated hot electrons ( approximately=10⁴ T, approximately=1 ns). For nondestructive coils, the peak field depends essentially on the strength of the conductor material. Megagauss systems are characterized by a typical speed on the order of several km/s which is directly related to the field and determines the longest-possible pulse duration.