SUPERFAST PINCH STUDIES

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Physics of Fluids (U.S.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1706344· OSTI ID:4028698

Heflinger, L O; Leonard, S L

An apparatus designed to accelerate protons of a hydro gen plasma to energies of 1 kev or more by means of the radialiy converging magnetic piston of a longitudinal pinch was constructed. A capacitor charged to voltages of up to 350 kv is discharged through the plasma, producing currents of up to 75 ka. The ringing frequency is 18 Mc, so that the rate of current rise is about 0.8 x 10/ sup 13/ amp/sec. Radially converging luminous fronts with maximum velocities in excess of 50 cm/ mu sec are observed and are interpreted as shock waves driven by a magnetic piston. Magnetic probe measurements and measurements of the electric field at the wall of the discharge tube show that much of the magnetic flux introduced during the first half-cycle is trapped in the hot plasma. The effects of varying such parameters as the total current, the initial pressure of gas, the type of gas, and the frequency of the discharge were investigated. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the classical Rosenbluth-Garwin theory of the pinch, which seems to correlate well with the observations. (auth)

• Research Organization: Space Tech. Labs., Inc., Los Angeles
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-016580
• OSTI ID: 4028698
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids (U.S.), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 4; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCELERATION
CAPACITORS
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ENERGY RANGE
FREQUENCY
GASES
HYDROGEN
MAGNETIC COMPRESSION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURED VALUES
PHYSICS
PINCH
PLASMA
PRESSURE
PROBES
PROTONS
SHOCK WAVES
SURFACES
TUBES
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY