Investigation of the plasma jet formation in X-pinch plasmas using laser interferometry

A two-frame Mach-Zender interferometer is used to investigate the dynamics of X pinches formed from two 10 mum aluminum wires at current levels of 100 kA. Particularly, the columns of plasma that form on the interelectrode ax is of the X pinch are studied quantitatively. It is demonstrated that the p lasma which forms these columns does not come solely from expansion of the corona from the limbs of the X pinch but rather predominantly from the cros sing point region. The results suggest that the plasma column is indeed a j et which consists of several components. (C) 2000 American Institute of Phy sics. [S1070-664X(00)03912-4].