Explosive plasma-vortex optical radiation sources

The results of experimental study of explosive radiation sources based on pulsed injection of a cumulative plasma jet into atmospheric air are considered. The injection process is accompanied with intense vortex formation as well as the formation of a large-scale toroidal plasma vortex. High-power electromagnetic radiation in the optical range is generated due to shock-wave processes during deceleration of a plasma jet in air and plasma-chemical processes in the vortex. The temporal structure of a radiation pulse being generated contains components from the micro- and millisecond range. For a 20-g mass of the explosive charge, a peak radiation power of 300 kW/sr and an energy yield of 400–600 J/sr integrated over the emission spectrum are attained. The efficiency of conversion of the chemical energy of the explosive into radiation is 5.0–7.5%.