Plasma density measurements in tungsten wire-array Z-pinches

Measurements of the plasma density profile near the exploding wires in 1 MA tungsten (W) wire-array Z-pinches have been made using calibrated x-ray absorption. As many as 5 x-ray images per pulse were obtained between 65 and 160 ns after the start of the 100 ns rise time current pulse. Measured W ion densities range from above 1019/cm3 close to the wire to ∼1017/cm3 about 1 mm away from the wire in the plasma stream. After accurate geometrical registration of the individual wires in each successive image in a pulse using the Genetic Algorithm, the temporal evolution of the axial modulation wavelength distribution of the ablation rate from the wires in each array and the global mass-ablation rate as a function of time are presented.