title: Long-path second-harmonic interferometer with nanosecond time resolution: reliable diagnostic tool for electron density measurement in pulsed plasma devices.
abstract: We describe the performance of a second-harmonic interferometer (SHI) to measure, on an optical path exceeding 12 m, the electron plasma density of two plasmoids formed in separate theta-pinch chambers and then merged in a central compression chamber after undergoing acceleration and compression. The excellent mechanical stability and a time resolution better than 50 ns suggest the application of SHI, especially in pulsed plasma devices with limited optical accesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics E. Fermi, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. tommaso.delrosso@fis.puc‑rio.br
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Del Rosso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giammanco
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balvis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Isakov
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matvienko
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strashnoy
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Waggoner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paganini
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Binderbauer