Velocity effects on metal armature contact transition [railguns]

Both friction and the velocity skin effect have been proposed as potential velocity limiting mechanisms for nonarcing armature contacts. The experimental evidence is that neither has a significant effect, at least up to the 2-km/s regime. The authors examine both friction and the velocity skin effect in the context of the adiabatic contact model. They show that neither mechanism presents a velocity barrier or limit for metal armature contacts