Current-induced implosion of a multiwire array as a radial plasma rainstorm

Abstract

We present our experimental results of the X-ray radiography of fast radiating Z-pinches based on cylindrical multiwire tungsten arrays. The experiments were carried out at the Angara-5-1 facility at an electrical power of up to 4 TW with a discharge current of up to 4 MA rising at a rate on the order of 5×10¹³ A s⁻¹. The linear mass of single and composite arrays reached 500 µg cm⁻¹, the initial radius was 4–10 mm, and the wire diameter was 5–8 µm. We have experimentally shown that for the current-induced implosion of multiwire tungsten arrays, significant azimuthal and axial plasma inhomogeneities result from discharge cold start and prolonged plasma production, which determine the subsequent course of the implosion. The Z-pinch structure also remains spatially inhomogeneous at the time of intense X-ray radiation. The generated inhomogeneous plasma collapses toward the array axis in the form of numerous radially elongated plasmoids with relatively small diameters. The stream of plasmoids is called a radial plasma rainstorm. As the plasmoids contract toward the array axis, they decrease in radial size and merge into isolated plasma current filaments, which are elongated mainly along the discharge axis. We critically discuss the models of a radiating Z-pinch in plasma composed of matter with a large atomic number that disregard the cold-start and prolonged plasma-production effects.