Measurements of the magnetic field distribution in a z-pinch plasma during and near stagnation, using polarization spectroscopy

Knowledge of the magnetic field distribution in a z-pinch plasma is of high importance since the plasma-field interaction plays a key role in determining the characteristics of the stagnation process and the efficiency of the magnetic-energy coupling to the plasma. However, plasma conditions that are typical of high-energy-density systems often render the common Zeeman-splitting magnetic field diagnostic impossible. The high densities and high ion velocities result in broad spectral line-shapes that smear out the Zeeman-split patterns 1 . Polarization spectroscopy previously employed in our laboratory, only yielded the field distribution prior to stagnation and away from the pinch axis 2 .