High Speed Pulse Technology, Volume 1: Capacitor Discharges - Magnetohydrodynamics - X-Rays - Ultrasonics deals with the theoretical and engineering problems that arise in the capacitor discharge technique. This book discusses the characteristics of dielectric material, symmetrical switch tubes with mercury filling, and compensation conductor forms. The transformed discharge for highest current peaks, ignition transformer for internal combustion engines, and X-ray irradiation of subjects in mechanical motion are also elaborated. This text likewise covers the transformed capacitor discharge in welding engineering, application of strong magnetic shock fields in nuclear physics, and shock sound by underwater capacitor discharges. Other topics include the shaping metals by electrical explosion shock wave and electro-erosion machining of metals. This volume is recommended for electrical engineering and physics students.

Pulsed power technology, in the simplest of terms, usually concerns the storage of electrical energy over relatively long times and then its rapid release over a comparatively short period. However, if we leave the definition at that, we miss a multitude of aspects that are important in the ultimate application of pulsed power. It is, in fact, the application of pulsed power technology to which this series of texts will be focused. Pulsed power in today's broader sense means "special power" as opposed to the tra ditional situation of high voltage impulse issues related to the utility industry. Since the pulsed power field is primarily application driven, it has principally an engineering flavor. Today' s applications span those from materials processing, such as metal forming by pulsed magnetic fields, to other varied applications, such as psy chedelic strobe lights or radar modulators. Very high peak power applications occur in research for inertial confinement fusion, the Strategic Defense Initiative and other historical defense uses. lri fact it is from this latter direction that pulsed power has real ized explosive growth over the past half century. Early thrusts were in electrically powered systems that simulated the environment or effects of nuclear weapons detonation. More recently it is being utilized as prime power sources for directed energy weapons, such as lasers, microwaves, particle beam weapons, and even mass drivers (kinetic energy weapons).

This unique and encyclopedic reference work describes the evolution of the physics of modern shock wave and detonation from the earlier and classical percussion. The history of this complex process is first reviewed in a general survey. Subsequently, the subject is treated in more detail and the book is richly illustrated in the form of a picture gallery. This book is ideal for everyone professionally interested in shock wave phenomena.

High Speed Pulse Technology, Volume IV: Sparks and Laser Pulses covers the production and practical aspects of sparks and laser pulses for the generation and utilization of high speed pulsed of energy in different forms. This volume consists of seven chapters and begins with reviews of the classification of photographic methods of high-speed analysis, specifically the motion analysis of rapid events by white light pulses. The next chapters examine the sources of white pulse light and nanosecond radiation. The remaining chapters discuss the applications of the technology in photography, photolysis, laser pumping, and visualization of flows, cracks, and particles. This book will prove useful to physicists, electrical and other engineering fields, teachers, and students who are interested in sparks and laser pulses.