My guess(reading the article now) is that it is an explosively formed magnetic field. that is, the explosion is part of the process. For EM fields(same thing?)

My guess(reading the article now) is that it is an explosively formed magnetic field. that is, the explosion is part of the process. For EM fields(same thing?) you can build a flux compression generator, a coil of wire around an explosive rod. run a current in the wire to form a magnetic field, as the explosive explodes from one end to the other the field compresses to form a high energy pulse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compre... edit: As best I understand, it is similar to an explosively formed field but uses one magnet to compress the other. the explosion was halfway expected, the compressed magnet was expected to tear itself apart, however the field was higher than expected and damaged the enclosure.