Generation of converging strong shock wave formed by microsecond timescale underwater electrical explosion of spherical wire array

A study of generation of converging strong shock wave using microsecond underwater electrical explosion of spherical Cu-wire array is presented. Hydrodynamic simulations coupled with the equation of state for Cu and water, deposited energy, and the magnetic pressure were used to calculate the water parameters in the vicinity of the implosion origin. The results of simulations agree with the shock wave time-of-flight and energy delivered to the water flow and show that in the vicinity (diameter of similar to 12 mu m) of an implosion one can expect water pressure of similar to 6 TPa, temperature of similar to 17 eV, and compression of similar to 8. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4798827]