Characterization of an ultradense reproducible Z pinch

The apparent complexity of the laser-plasma coupling in laser fusion target irradiation has stimulated the need for carefully controlled experimental studies of the laser-plasma interaction at the critical surface. A helium Z pinch has been constructed which produces a high density plasma, independent of the laser, enabling the separation of the laser-plasma interaction physics from the plasma formation mechanism. Its peak electron density (4 x 1019 cm-3), critical density scale length (70--200 μ), and temperature (approx.25 eV) make it suitable for simulating and studying laser-pellet interaction mechanisms at CO2 laser wavelengths. Detailed numerical modelling of these experiments was employed as a check against our diagnostics, as well as providing physical insight in those ranges of experimental parameters where measurements were not made