The electromagnetic stopping of intense and relativistic electron beams (REB) arising from femtosecond lasers interacting with a precompressed deuterium–tritium (DT) fuel is investigated within the Bohr–Fermi formalism with a large impact parameter. Dynamical intrabeam correlations in the target are shown to be quantitatively significant for various arrangements of projectile electrons and the overall REB penetration in the DT fuel.

Previous experiments at 0.1 TW level have shown that stability and X-ray emission of fast Z-pinch could be significantly improved by imploding an Al vapor jet onto a very thin coaxial wire (Wessel et al., 1992). Here we present the first results of an Al Z-pinch using a similar liner but at mega-ampere level. The pinch is driven by AMBIORIX facility, a 2 TW, 0.5 Ω, 2 MA, and a 50-ns pulse-line generator. We study the effect of an Al wire and its diameter (20–50 μm) on the implosion dynamics, on X-ray yield, on-axis magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) stability, and on Rayleigh–Taylor instability of the column at stagnation. Analysis of an Al jet on Al wire shots demonstrates that X-ray yield due to emission processes in the H- and He-like ionization stages (i.e., the K-shell) is enhanced, relative to the ones with Al jet only. The wire leads also to a better symmetrization of the implosion, and to better reproducibility of the shots. X-ray signals exhibit two similar pulses, 10-ns-wide and separated by 15 ns. To discern spectrally the origin of each pulse, further experiments have been performed with stainless steel wire (25 μm in diameter). Results show that liner and wire radiate simultaneously and contribute to both pulses. Full analysis of a typical Al jet on Al wire shot, using detailed collisional-radiative equilibrium (CRE) model is given in this paper. A sketch of the pinch at stagnation, with a cold dense core embedded in a hot low density corona, reproduces well all features of X-ray emission.

The acceleration of ions (∼108 cm/s) has been observed in the laser produced plasma expanding across an uniform magnetic field at low laser irradiance (∼5 × 1012 W/cm2). This acceleration was found correlated with the onset of instabilities in the plasma and decrease in the slope of X-ray emission with laser intensity. A large enhancement in the X-ray emission (E > 2 KeV) from plasma in the presence of magnetic field supports the observation of ion acceleration. An increase in the number of ions was noticed in the pressure range in which enhancement in the self-generated spontaneous magnetic field has already been established. Even scaling of both the variations with chamber pressure during rising part was found in close agreement, which further supports the correlation. The possibility of an external magnetic field in triggering the acceleration and space charge potential in generating a correlation (between ion acceleration and self-generated spontaneous magnetic field) has been discussed.

Experimental results on measurement of dd-reaction cross sections in the energy range of 0.1–1.5 keV using the Z-pinch technique are presented. The experiment was fulfilled at the high current generator of the High-Current Electronics Institute, city of Tomsk, Russia. The dd-fusion neutrons were registered by time-of-flight scintillator detectors and BF3 detectors of thermal neutrons. The estimates were obtained at 90% of the confidence level for the upper limits of the neutron-producing dd-reaction cross sections for average deuteron collision energies of 0.11, 0.34, 0.37, and 1.46 keV. These results substantiate feasibility to get a cross section magnitude for dd-reaction in the range of the collision energy of 0.8–3 keV using similar technology at the pulse current level of 2–3 MA.

We present the results of the theoretical studies of the plasma heating in the flows which converge toward the axis of cylindrical cavity. We show that as a result of the shock wave reflection from the axis, the narrow hot filament is formed. This phenomenon is important for the interpretation of the dynamic processes in the electric discharges used for X-ray generation. We notice that the plasma parameters which can be of interest for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) can be reached in such the processes.

On the basis of the Lorentz equation the analytical solution of the equations of motion of a charged particle in the electromagnetic (EM) waves combined with constant electric or magnetic fields has been found. The possibility of controlling of the parameters of motion in velocity and spatial spaces is discussed as follows.

The main purpose of this work is to describe the construction and operation of the low energy accelerator with energy in the range from (zero to 100 KeV). This accelerator includes an ion source of the cold cathode Penning type (with pierce geometry for ion beam extraction), an accelerating tube (with 8 electrodes) and Faraday cup (FC) for measuring ion current. A vacuum system which gives vacuum of the order 3.0 × 10−8 Torr is used. A palladium tube is used to supply the source with pure hydrogen atoms. It was possible to operate this accelerator with an energy 50 KeV at minimum hydrogen pressure, 6.3 × 10−6 Torr. The total resistance applied between the accelerating electrodes RT = 31.5 MΩ. These data include the influence of the pressure in the accelerating tube, the magnetic field of the ion source, the extraction potential and the accelerating potential on the collector ion current. It was possible to accelerate protons with an energy 50 KeV with current about 100 μA at pressure 6.3 × 10−6 Torr, the source magnetic field = 110 G (IB = 2 A), the arc current = 0.4 A and the extraction potential = 10 KV.