Measurements of electron density in plasma disturbed by strong transverse magnetic field

We present results of studies of the behavior of a laser-produced plasma in a strong external transverse magnetic field of above 10 T in induction gen erated from a flat teflon target at the laser power densities of about 10(1 4) W/cm(2). In the measurements of plasma parameters, a two-channel automat ed interferometric system (Pisarczyk er al. 1994) was applied. The interfer ometric measurements have shown that the transverse magnetic field induces an asymmetry of the plasma distinctly apparent in the interferograms regist ered in two mutually perpendicular directions. Due to the lack of axial sym metry of the plasma, the Abel's transformation could not be applied in quan titative processing of the interferograms. To reconstruct a spatial distrib ution of electron density in a plasma stream of disturbed axial symmetry, a methodology prepared for this experiment was used. Analyzing the spatial a nd temporal distributions of electron concentration obtained in the transve rse magnetic field, it has been proved that the factor responsible for the disturbance of the axial symmetry of the plasma is the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T ) instability corresponding to the ion unmagnetization state.