Analysis of data from z-pinch MTF target plasma experiments

Summary form only given. Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) target plasma experiments have been performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Colt facility for roughly three years. The capacitor bank has a maximum output voltage of 120 kV, maximum energy store of 0.25 MJ, and can deliver at least 2 MA of current to a load in 2.5 microseconds. The approach for MTF target plasma generation has been to drive a z-directed current through a plasma which is contained by a 2 cm radius by 2 cm high cylindrical metal wall. The initial mass for the target plasma comes from either a static uniform fill of hydrogen or deuterium gas, or from a polyethylene fiber mounted along the central axis. Polyethylene fibers were used as a substitute for the cryogenically frozen deuterium fibers that were originally planned for. The diagnostic set includes an array of 12 B-dot probes, optical framing camera, gated OMA visible spectrometer, time-resolved monochrometer, filtered silicon photodiodes, neutron yield, and a laser interferometer. The data obtained allows an assessment of the plasma temperature, density, magnetization, and decay time. With this, the suitability of these plasmas for an MTF application will be addressed.