Abstract

Experimental evidence on the compression of a laser initiated hollow gas embedded z-pinch discharge is presented. The hollow z-pinch is initiated by a laser-produced annular plasma formed on the cathode surface of the pulsed power generator in an ambient atmosphere of 0.3 atm of hydrogen gas. Two different initial radii of R0 = 2 mm and R0 = 3 mm of the z-pinches were investigated using schlieren imaging and Mach-Zehnder interferometry. The z-pinches presented hollow electron density profiles with peak values on the order of 1018 cm-3 and a time average Bennett temperature of 150 eV. Imploding radial velocity of 5 km s-1 is measured. The hollow profile and stability of the plasma column are maintained during the complete observation time. This observation time is approximately ten Alfvén transit time and it is longer than the current peak time. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.