Application of Charged Coaxial Cables to the Measurement of Projectile Velocity and Impact Time in a Compressed Gas Gun

Abstract

An application of charged coaxial pulse‐forming cables to measurements on rapidly moving electrically conductive projectiles when accelerated in a compressed gas gun is presented. Two quantities associated with high stress impacting of materials, time and instantaneous velocity at impact, are determined. Electrical signals with risetimes of less than 3 nsec are obtained and used as fiducials to determine the precise location of moving surfaces in time and space. Average velocities over three short intervals are measured to within ±0.08%. Impact and event timing to ±10 nsec is accomplished.