Lower-hybrid-drift instability and radiative collapse of a dense Z pinch

The increased resistivity resulting from the lower-hybrid-drift (LHD) instability is shown to increase the Pease–Braginskii current IPB in a Z pinch and to make radiative collapse harder to achieve; IPB becomes a function of both the line density and the pinch radius and a minimum dI/dt is necessary to induce collapse. The effect of the LHD instability is greatest in a hydrogen pinch, and decreases with increasing atomic number.