Dynamic polarizability of tungsten atoms reconstructed from fast electrical explosion of fine wires in vacuum

Nanosecond electrical explosion of fine metal wires in vacuum generates calibrated, radially expanded gas cylinders of metal atoms surrounded by a low-density fast expanding plasma corona. An integrated-phase technique, based on laser interferometry, provides the dynamic dipole polarizability of metal atoms. These data were previously unavailable for tungsten atoms. An extremely high melting temperature and significant premelt electronic emission make these measurements particularly complicated for this refractory metal. Most attempts to vaporize tungsten wire by electrical current pulse result in the disintegration of the sample into macro- and microfragments. However, application of a very fast-rising current, similar to 1 kA/ns, can vaporize a thin 10-15 mu m-diameter tungsten wire and generate a calibrated gas-plasma cylinder. Adding a dielectric coating to the wire leads to increased energy deposition to the wire core and a reduction of the surrounding plasma corona. Employing the integrated-phase technique on a fast-exploding coated tungsten wire, we find that the dynamic dipole polarizability of tungsten atoms at a wavelength of 532 nm equals 15 +/- 1.3 angstrom(3).