Studies of interaction of plasma jets generated in a plasma focus facilitywith an ambient plasma in external magnetic field

The aim of the present experiments was to reproduce and to study in laborat ory quasi-perpendicular supercritical collisionless shocks similar to the E arth-Solar Wind shock, by using a plasma focus facility as the plasma sourc e. The experiments were performed on the PF-3 facility (Filippov-type plasm a focus) at a level of energy supply of about 1 MJ. Directed plasma jets ar e produced with axial velocities similar to 10(7) cm/s after compression of a plasma-current sheath in the initial stage of plasma focus formation. Th ese jets then travel through an ambient plasma resulting in early gas ioniz ation by X-ray radiation from the plasma focus, and at an angle of 90 degre es to the 2500 G external magnetic field applied by a system based on rear- earth magnets. Our experimental conditions allowed us to reach a range MA s imilar to5 divided by 10.