Use of vacuum arc plasma guns for a metal puff Z-pinch system

Journal Article · Thu Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3640535· OSTI ID:22043509

Rousskikh, A G; Zhigalin, A S; Oreshkin, V I; Chaikovsky, S A; Labetskaya, N A ^[1]; Baksht, R B ^[2]

---

1. Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634055 (Russian Federation)
2. Tel Aviv University, Electrical Discharge and Plasma Laboratory, Tel Aviv 69101 (Israel)

The performance of a metal puff Z-pinch system has been studied experimentally. In this type of system, the initial cylindrical shell 4 cm in diameter was produced by ten plasma guns. Each gun initiates a vacuum arc operating between magnesium electrodes. The net current of the guns was 80 kA. The arc-produced plasma shell was compressed by using a 450-kA, 450-ns driver, and as a result, a plasma column 0.3 cm in diameter was formed. The electron temperature of the plasma reached 400 eV at an average ion concentration of 1.85 {center_dot} 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}. The power of the Mg K-line radiation emitted by the plasma for 15-30 ns was 300 MW/cm.

• OSTI ID: 22043509
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
EV RANGE
ION TEMPERATURE
IONS
MAGNESIUM
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA
PLASMA GUNS