Experimental study of star‐like and small‐diameter wire‐array z‐pinches on the 1‐MA Zebra generator

Star-like wire arrays and small-diameter (1-3 mm in diameter) cylindrical loads were tested in the 1-MA Zebra generator. Mitigation of plasma inhomogeneity was observed in the implosions of star-like loads, which consisted of multiple nested, cylindrical arrays aligned azimuthally such that the wires appear as linear array "rays" extending from the axis of symmetry. The implosion in these loads is directed along the "rays" of the star and cascades from wire to wire to the center to form moving plasma columns with smooth leading edges. Despite the low azimuthal symmetry, a star-like wire array produces a stable x-ray pulse with a high peak power and a short duration of 8-12-ns. This can be linked to the stabilization of instabilities due to the multiple nesting. X-ray generation and implosion dynamics in wire arrays 1-16 mm in diameter were investigated to find a transition between the regime with prevailing kinetic energy and "non-kinetic" plasma heating. Loads 3-8 mm in diameter generate the highest x-ray power at the Zebra generator. The fall of x-ray power in 1-2-mm loads can be linked to the lack of kinetic energy. Laser probing diagnostics show the formation of "necks" on the pinch during the bubble-like implosion. The energy balance provides the evidence of the enhanced plasma heating in z-pinches. Features of the implosions in small-diameter wire-arrays can help to identify the mechanisms of energy dissipation.