title: Experimental characterization of the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets.
abstract: We present spatially resolved measurements characterizing the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets. Intrajet collisionality is very high, but the interjet ion-ion mean free path is of the order of the stagnation layer thickness of a few centimeters. Fast-framing camera images show a double-peaked emission profile transverse to the stagnation layer, with the central emission dip consistent with a density dip in the interferometer data. We demonstrate that our observations are consistent with collisional oblique shocks.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA and University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Merritt
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loverich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilmore