Any weapon, based on previously not used physical principles, more and more attracts the attention of the military, because the promises great benefits to those who will manage its first use. One such innovative projects is magnetohydrodynamic explosive weapons MAHEM, striking objects jet of molten metal.

"The fat man pressed a button. At the same instant from the top of the hill came a great pillar of fire. He reached the clouds and as if burned them. Hill shattered as fragile ball, and from cracks it broke dazzling lightning. The trees on the hill fell and broke.

Crushing, deafening noise finally sunk to numb the audience.

The broken hill turned into a blazing fire. From the sky, leaving a blinding trail fell pieces of lava. Became as bright as day. Black walls of the castle was flushed.

Hot hill sparkled like a fallen from the sky the sun. It could look. His eyes could not stand and face started to feel the scorching wind".

This is an excerpt from the novel by Alexander Kazantsev "Burning island", which was written before the war, but then repeatedly corrected in accordance with the requirements of the time. To improve this has not improved, on the contrary, however, the main idea of the novel - military use an electric condenser high capacity - the author never gave up, because it is very fun it looked.

However, it should be recalled that on the way to creating any device of this type is a fundamental barrier - at higher power above a certain limit is an electrical breakdown of air and all the energy consumed in the creation of plasma. However, if we look at this phenomenon on the other hand, it is possible and I think we could come up with a completely new explosives: will bring its capacity to the maximum extent possible, and then take it, and make this the "test".

As a result, we will get the volume of high-temperature plasma, and... won't it be impressive views of weapons, and completely safe for storage in peacetime, since it will be stored in nonsparse?

Yes, but what, the question may arise, bad traditional explosives and do their little invented? And here the problems associated with the fact that explosives, as a rule, contain oxygen in their own molecules. Moreover, their molecules - in fact, metastable education. When the message sufficient energy (energy of activation) she spontaneously dissociates into its constituent atoms, which are the products of the explosion, with the release of energy in excess of the activation energy.

Such are the properties of molecules nitroglycerine, TNT and others. The cellulose nitrates (smokeless gunpowder), black powder, which consists of a mechanical mixture of combustible substances (charcoal) and oxidant (nitrate), not normally prone to detonation, but traditionally also considered to be explosives.

And because the speed of detonation explosives limited search in this field is continuous. The higher velocity of detonation, the higher speed of gaseous explosion products, the higher the speed metal fragments and, accordingly, their kinetic energy!

That is why the weapons, based on previously not used physical principles, more and more attracts the attention of the military, because the promises great benefits to those who will manage its first use. And although the problems there is a lot of work in this field are performed intensively. In any case, the West is very sensitive to the Russian scientist Alexander Primarenko, whose activities in this area started talking as soon as they became known to the wider scientific community.

"...A more effective option magnetic cumulation is spherical, proposed A.B. of Presedence. Its parameter is little known, but some can be estimated from... It is of special interest due to the problems related to formation converging strictly to the point spherically symmetrical implosion". Translated into ordinary language, this means that you can create "shutting" at one point munition, and that there is at this point will occur, in General, it is not difficult to imagine, even without special education!

One such innovative projects is a new development of tactical technology DARPA, the defense Department. He was named Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition (MAHEM). It magnetohydrodynamic explosive weapons, striking objects jet of molten metal, and it is interesting that the idea of such weapons was made in 1955 writer of science fiction and Arthur C. Clarke's novel "Earthly light". According to the information, provided by the official website of the Agency, the complex MAHEM will be much more effective ammunition in which the core or cumulative jet formed by the detonation of explosives.

According to the plan of researchers, it will create an electromagnetic field such capacity, enough to shoot a stream of molten metal and break any armor. If this project succeeds to realize, it will be a significant step forward in creating visokokvalitetnih modern shells, more efficient than today's real!

It is known that high-speed fragments formed in the result of the explosion, the larger pieces and smotrimenya penetrating warhead type are used for precise strike for such purposes as armored objects and reinforced construction. In a modern munitions that takes the energy of explosion of chemicals. However, experience has shown that this method is extremely inefficient and requires precise machining shell shell, in particular, its cumulative funnel and those surfaces from which we can get high speed and large fragments.

Through the use of MAHEM becomes possible education and precise synchronization high speed and large fragments semiarimis penetrating warhead type of shock kernel with greatly increased amazing ability than any other modern ammunition. Higher speed will also increase and the amazing ability.

It is considered that such magnetohydrodynamic ammunition with formed by the explosion damaging element can be placed inside the rocket, bullet or other projectile, and be placed at a short distance from the object to the explosion. That is, to use as circumstances require...