Plasma pressure profiles in a sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch

We report the plasma pressure reached inside the central plasma column of a sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch using Thomson scattering measurements. Building on previously reported experimental results and the analysis methods established for the high temperature and moderate density plasmas generated...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of plasmas 2024-07, Vol.31 (7)
Main Authors: Goyon, C., Bott-Suzuki, S. C., Youmans, A. E., Banasek, J. T., Morton, L. A., Levitt, B., Barhydt, J. R., Morgan, K. D., Liekhus-Schmaltz, C., Young, W. C., Higginson, D. P., Hossack, A. C., Meier, E. T., Nelson, B. A., Quinley, M., Taylor, A., Tsai, P., van Rossum, N., Shah, A., Stepanov, A. D., Sutherland, D. A., Weber, T. R., Shumlak, U., McLean, H. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Density
Deuterium plasma
Electron energy
High temperature
Neutrons
Plasma
Plasma pressure
Thomson scattering
Zeta pinch
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Summary:We report the plasma pressure reached inside the central plasma column of a sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch using Thomson scattering measurements. Building on previously reported experimental results and the analysis methods established for the high temperature and moderate density plasmas generated on the FuZE device, we show evidence of a central plasma region with higher electron temperature and density, which is consistent with a pinch behavior. Elevated electron temperatures up to 2.25  ±  0.8 keV and densities up to ( 4.9 ± 0.2 ) × 10 17   cm − 3 are observed to temporally coincide with the fusion neutron production from the plasma. Reconstructed plasma pressure profiles highlight the presence of a several millimeter-wide column with elevated pressure whose location varies shot-to-shot. The plasma pressure rises as neutron production from the deuterium plasma increases, reaching a peak value of 2.6 kBar. This peak value is consistent with a radially force-balanced pinch equilibrium model based on the measured ∼320 kA pinch current. Complete datasets were obtained at two axial locations, 10 and 20 cm axial position from the tip of the central electrode, which corroborate the estimated neutron source axial lengths.
ISSN:1070-664X
1089-7674
DOI:10.1063/5.0209351