Temporally resolved visible and UV spectroscopy of exploding wires

This paper presents experimental spectra resulting from simple exploding wires used in railgun plasma production and shows initial comparisons with basic theory. Exploding wire spectra have been obtained by discharging a 1200 /spl mu/F capacitor bank at a voltage in excess of 1 kV through both metal wires and carbon fibres. The spectrometer used has enabled spectra to be recorded in the visible and ultraviolet wavelength regimes. Furthermore, the use of a charge coupled device (CCD) as the recording medium allows the time resolution of the spectral emission. A maximum of 512 spectra per discharge is possible, with a minimum acquisition time of less than 10 /spl mu/s per spectrum. The transient current in the exploding win was monitored by a Rogowski coil. Analysis of the experimental data has enabled the fluctuations in the spectral intensity to be related to the development of the electrical discharge.<>