Underwater electrical wire explosion

The results of the investigation of the underwater electrical wire explosions using a high power sub-ns generator are reported. The spectroscopic analysis of the emitted radiation has unveiled no evidence for the formation of shunting plasma channel. The latter appears in vacuum and gas wire explosions and causes to the seizure of energy deposition into an exploding wire material. The combination of mechanism for the suppression of formation of shunting channel together with the increased energy deposition rate allows busting the efficiency of the energy deposition into the exploding wire. Estimated energy deposition into Cu and Al wire of up to 200 eV/atom was reported.