A Hydrodynamic Explanation for the Anomalous Resistance of Exploding Wires

Abstract

Wires exploded in air with current densities from 2.5 · 10⁷ amp/cm²to 1.3 · 10⁸ amp/cm² exhibited a “resistance anomaly,” i.e., the resistance was not a unique function of the electrical energy deposited in the wire but depended upon the rate of energy deposition. The experiment was repeated in nonconducting environments with densities of 1 and 2 g/cm³. The resistance vs energy curve was affected by the greater confinement of these environments in the same way as by faster rates of energy input. It is proposed that inertial confinement of the wire may account for the resistance anomaly.

This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.