Pulsed-power-generated plasma of high reproducibility

Plasmas of high reproducibility that are suitable for beam-plasma experiments are generated by a pulsed-power z-pinch discharge. The z-pinch device is designed as a plasma target for the investigation of ion beam-plasma interactions. The dynamic plasma state is characterized by the electron density, the electron temperature, and the magnetic field distribution, which are observed using time-resolved diagnostics. For z-pinch discharges in hydrogen, average electron densities of up to (2.6 ± 0.1) × 1018 electrons/cm3 were measured interferometrically. Electron temperatures in the range 2–7 eV are determined by time-resolved spectroscopy. The reproducibility of the electron density of the z-pinch discharge in terms of shot-to-shot fluctuations is estimated to be better than 3%. This is a favorable condition for performing beam-plasma experiments.