Spectroscopic determination of the magnetic-field distribution in an imploding plasma

Articles you may be interested in Beyond Zeeman spectroscopy: Magnetic-field diagnostics with Stark-dominated line shapes The time-dependent radial distribution of the magnetic field in a high density z-pinch plasma has been determined by observation of the contribution of the Zeeman effect to the spectral profiles of ionic emission lines. The dominance of the line profiles by the Stark broadening required high-accuracy profile measurements and the use of polarization spectroscopy. The plasma implodes in Ӎ600 ns, and the field distribution was measured up to 90 ns before stagnation on axis. During the implosion the plasma was found to conduct the entire circuit current. By comparing the data to the solution of the magnetic diffusion equation the electrical conductivity of the plasma was determined, found to be in agreement with the Spitzer value. These measurements, together with our previously measured ion velocity distributions, allowed for the determination of the time-dependent relative contributions of the magnetic and thermal pressure to the ion radial acceleration across the plasma shell.