EFFECTS OF CONTACT RESISTANCE BETWEEN SUPERCONDUCTOR AND STABILIZER ON STABILITY IN OXIDE-SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOSITES

Stability of superconducting composites of an oxide superconductor and a stabilizer with high electrical conductivity was studied theoretically in relation with contact resistance between the superconductor and the metal. The stability parameter of the minimum propagation zone (MPZ) was evaluated from an equilibrium distribution of temperature along the wire. Additional heat generation due to the contact resistance was induced around the normal zone and reduced the size of MPZ. The relation between the contact resistance and the stability was calculated numerically by a heat balance equation for the composite. A stability criterion for external disturbances was proposed as the condition that the size of MPZ asymptotically approaches to zero.