This paper describes first results of a novel compression method for a plasma by acceleration into a glass cone. The plasma is generated by a pulsed-power-driven coaxial plasma accelerator, prefilled with 2% hydrogen in a helium mixture. The pulse forming network of the experiment has a total capacitance of 27 μF at a maximum voltage of 10 kV. The low inductance of 130 nH leads to an average frequency of about 86 kHz and high current rise rates in the 1011 As range. Due to the high current of up to 150 kA, the Lorentz force accelerates the plasma depending on pressure and applied voltage to velocities in the 104 ms order. After ejection, the plasma moves into several cone geometries, placed at the end of the electrodes. The conducted studies focus on the Stark-broadening of spectral lines to determine the electron density changes due to the compression. Because of the wide broadening at high electron densities, the well-known Hβ line broadening method is not eligible for cone compressed plasmas. Alternatively, the broadening of the Hα line and a copper line has been used. The achieved electron densities could be increased approximately two orders of magnitude from 1015 cm−3 without the cone to 1017–1018 cm−3 with cone compression.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.