If a 1-1/2-cm length of 2-mil tungsten wire is heated in a period of about 100 microseconds, such as by the discharge of a con¬denser, at the end of the heating period, the temperature distribution along the wire is essentially flat. This fact is used in our investiga¬tion of the ignition of gases by electrically heated wires. Since the temperature distribution is flat, the current to maintain the center of the wire at a constant temperature is a measure of the heat flux from the wire to the gas. A theoretical analysis of the heat flow shows that the temperature of the center of the wire is independent of end losses for about 100 milliseconds. A general formulation of the problem is applicable to wires of any length and diameter.
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