Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
A mathematical formulation is presented to describe the interaction between a plasma and injected particles. In the formulation, a realistic allowance is made for intraparticle conduction, vaporization and non-continuum effects. The theoretical predictions are compared with experimental measurements and quite reasonable agreement has been obtained. A discussion is presented assessing the relative importance of the various factors that govern plasma-particle interactions.