Measurement of plasma characteristic parameters of copper foil explosion using interferometry

Area of Science:

• Plasma physics
• Shock wave dynamics
• Materials science

Background:

• Characterizing detonation performance of pyrotechnic components requires accurate measurement of plasma properties and shock wave parameters.
• Electrobursts in copper foil transducers generate complex plasma and shock wave phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To accurately measure plasma temperature, electron density, and shock wave pressure during copper foil transducer electrobursts.
• To establish a theoretical and technical foundation for detonation performance testing of pyrotechnic energy-conversion components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Mach-Zehnder interferometry and high-speed photography at 3×10^6 frames per second.
• Applied Fourier transform methods to extract phase differences and the Abel algorithm for refractive index reconstruction.
• Partitioned and reconstructed shock wave pressure, plasma temperature, and electron density using refractive index models.

Main Results:

• Maximum shock wave pressure reached 1.297 atm.
• Maximum plasma temperature measured was 16,280 K.
• Maximum plasma electron density recorded was 2.134×10^17 cm⁻³.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully quantified key parameters of copper foil transducer electrobursts.
• Provides a robust methodology for detonation performance evaluation of pyrotechnic devices.
• Offers critical data for advancing the design and testing of energy-conversion components.