Phase diagram of a wide current-carrying superconducting film

A model of current heating of a wide superconducting film is suggested assuming nonlinearity of the film conductance. Within this model, the parameters of the film can be characterized by a single dimensionless coefficient of thermal balance which includes both thermal and resistive parameters of the system. The stability of the state of the current-carrying film is analyzed. A phase diagram of the film is constructed in terms of the coefficient of thermal balance and the average current density. The propagation velocity of a stationary nonuniform temperature distribution in the film is calculated as a function of current density at various values of the coefficient of thermal balance. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".