The properties of high-current high-pressure discharges

The properties of high-current high-pressure gas discharges (I = 60 kA, p = 1 atm, τ_1/2 = 1.6 ms, r ～ 10 cm) just before the end of the discharge are investigated experimentally. It is shown that the anomalously high rate of gas cooling after the current is switched off is related to the turbulent hydrodynamic processes induced by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the discharge boundary in the stage of volume radiative cooling of the discharge channel. The turbulent thermal conductivity is estimated using experimental data on the recovery of the electric strength of the discharge gap.