Schlieren Measurements of a High Density Z-Pinch

K.H. Finken, G. Bertschinger, R.S. Hornady

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A · 1976 · 12 citations · 0 references

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Abstract

Abstract The dense plasma phase of a dynamic z-pinch working at a high filling pressure is studied. By using the Schlieren-technique it is found that the compressed plasma column, though macroscopically stable for times less than 1 μs develops quickly from a homogeneous state to a turbulent one with a perturbation scale length of typically some millimeters. Quantitative measurements of light deflection give electron densities of typically 10 19 cm -3 at 0.25 Torr He filling.