A high impedence mega ampere generator for fibre Z-pinch experiments

The primary objective of the dense Z-pinch project at Imperial College (UK) is to study the physics of radiative collapse in a dense plasma produced from a cryogenic hydrogen fibre load. Deuterium fibre experiments will also be undertaken to explore the Z-pinch as a potential compact controlled fusion reactor. Other applications such as the development of X-ray sources and X-ray lasers will also be pursued. These fibres have a high inductance and require an high impedance driver. Here, the authors describe the MAGPIE pulsed power generator developed for use in these fibre Z-pinch experiments. (2 pages)