U.S.-UK Cooperative Research: Investigation of Dense Z-Pinch and X-Pinch Plasmas Using Time Revolving Optical Diagnostics

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This award will support collaborative research between David Hammer, Cornell University, and Dr. Malcolm Haines, Plasma Physics Group, Imperial College, London, England. The objective of the proposed project is to carry out a series of experiments designed to determine conditions in detail as a function of time in dense z-pinch and x-pinch plasmas. Such plasmas are produced by first using the initial portion of the current from submicrosecond "pulsed power" generators to explode fine wires (0.0025-0.025 cm. diameter), and then magnetically "pinching" the resulting plasma to very small diameters with the field produced by the peak current. These experiments will be performed at Imperial College because of the availability there of a unique set of advanced electro-optical diagnostic instruments for use with any of several pulsed power devices. It will be possible to obtain time and space-resolved measurements of z-pinch and x-pinch plasma densities, ionization states, implosion speeds, and locations and durations of x-ray bright spots, using x-ray and visible light-sensitive intensified image converter "streak" and "framing" cameras with nanosecond resolution, nanosecond pulsed lasers, and a variety of visible and x-ray spectroscopic instruments. The ultimate goal of this project is to achieve an improved understanding of the dynamics of dense z- and x-pinch plasmas, so that applications to x-ray lithography, pumping short wavelength lasers and controlled fusion might be confidently evaluated. This project will benefit from the complementary expertise of the two investigators in gas pinches and laser plasma research.