Observation of a current-loss effect at the neck of a Z-pinch formed in the explosion of a wire
Sarkisov G. S. , Etlicher B. , Attelan S. , Rouille C. , Shikanov A. S.
The plasma of a Z-pinch has been studied by a Faraday-rotation method. The current at the neck decreases sharply, to a level no more than 2% of the total current through the pinch, which is ~ 100 kA. The plasma is produced in the explosion of a 25-yu.m Al wire, used as the load of a high-current source. The experimental results force a radical revision of ideas regarding the mechanism for the formation of a neck. Qualitative features of the phenomenon agree with electron MHD. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.