Current redistribution and generation of kinetic energy in the stagnated Z pinch.
The structure of magnetic fields was investigated in stagnated wire-array Z pinches using a Faraday rotation diagnostic at the wavelength of 266 nm. The distribution of current in the pinch and trailing material was reconstructed. A significant part of current can switch from the main pinch to the trailing plasma preheated by x-ray radiation of the pinch. Secondary implosions of trailing plasma generate kinetic energy and provide enhanced heating and radiation of plasma at stagnation. Hot spots in wire-array Z pinches also provide enhanced radiation of the Z pinch. A collapse of a single hot spot radiates 1%-3% of x-ray energy of the Z pinch with a total contribution of hot spots of 10%-30%.
Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA. ivanov@physics.unr.edu
V V
VV
Ivanov
A A
AA
Anderson
D
D
Papp
A L
AL
Astanovitskiy
B R
BR
Talbot
J P
JP
Chittenden
N
N
Niasse