PENETRATION OF AZIMUTHAL MAGNETIC-FLUX TO THE INTERIOR OF AN UNSTABLELINER

Experiments on the current-driven implosion of liners and Z-pinches wi th complicated spatial configurations carried out in ANGARA-5-1 are de scribed. A cascade system consisting of a light outer liner (Xe, Ar, a nd C3H8: 32 mm in diameter, 5-50 mu g/cm) and an inner core (solid foa m of agar-agar + 30% KCl: 1 mm in diameter, 50-70 mu g/cm) coaxial wit h the outer liner is investigated. The mechanism of energy transfer fr om the outer current-carrying shell toward the axis was found to be th e following: Owing to the onset of an instability in the outer current shell, the azimuthal magnetic flux penetrates through this shell and arrives at the region near the axis before the peak compression of the imploded outer-shell plasma is reached. Simultaneously, a part of the outer-shell plasma can implode rapidly and penetrate the inner core. During current reconnection, the outer-shell plasma becomes axially in homogeneous. The efficiency of power delivery to the inner part of the load was determined by comparing the active power dissipation W-act = 1.5 TW in the discharge electrical circuit with the power of soft X-r ay radiation (SXR) W-SXR similar to 0.7 TW. The duration of the pulse front of the SXR was 2 to 3 ns. The SXR pulse was 10-15 ns long.