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Experiments were performed to secure evidence of the mechanism during the early stages of a wire explosion. High-speed (0.3 μsec) photographs were taken, using a second exploding wire to back-light the first. The results showed no surface irregularities (unduloids) as frequently postulated for the liquid phase of exploding wires. Instead, the evidence points to a condition of extreme super-heating of the liquid, followed by sudden explosive vaporization (``transplosion''). Stria in the ensuing vapor cloud were found to develop after the explosion is complete.
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William G. Chace (1959) studied this question.
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