title: Investigation of plasma instabilities in the stagnated Z pinch.
abstract: High-resolution laser probing diagnostics at a wavelength of 266 nm allow observation of the internal structure and instabilities in dense stagnated Z pinches, typically hidden by trailing material. The internal structure of the 1-MA Z pinch includes strong kink and sausage instabilities, loops, flares, and disruptions. Mid- and small-scale density perturbations develop in the precursor and main pinch. The three-dimensional shape and dynamics of the wire-array Z pinch are predetermined by the initial configuration of the wire array. Cylindrical, linear, and star wire-array Z pinches present different sets of instabilities seeded to the pinch at the implosion stage. Prolonged implosion of trailing mass can enhance x-ray production in wire arrays. Fast plasma motion with a velocity >100 km/s was observed in the Z pinch at stagnation with two-frame shadowgraphy. Development of instabilities in wire arrays is in agreement with three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chittenden
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Niasse
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Altemara
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Anderson