Plasma Production during Implosion of Quasi-Spherical Wire Arrays

Abstract

The motion of the outer boundary of a quasi-spherical tungsten wire array at currents of 2−4 MA was studied experimentally. It is shown that the outer boundary shifts later than it is predicted by simulations by the heterogeneous array model. The instabilities developing at the boundary of the quasi-spherical array are similar to those occurring in a cylindrical array made of the same material. It is found that, in spite of the different time behaviors of the inductances during implosions of quasi-spherical and cylindrical arrays, the energies required to compress these arrays to ~0.4 of the initial radius differ insignificantly.