PPPS-2013: Study of ablation and implosion stages of 1 MA wire array z-pinches using UV laser diagnostics

The ablation and implosion stages of wire array z-pinches was studied using UV diagnostics at the wavelength of 266 nm. Experiments were conducted using Al cylindrical, star, and planar wire arrays at the 1 MA Zebra pulsed-power generator at UNR. UV interferometry allows direct study of electron plasma density > 10²⁰ cm^-3. We measured the density structure and dynamics in the ablating wires with 2-frame UV interferometry. Faraday rotation diagnostics at the wavelength of 266 nm were developed and applied to the ablation and implosion stages in wire arrays. Comparison of Faraday images with shadowgrams and interferograms allows for the measurement of magnetic fields to reconstruct the current in the imploding plasma and non-imploded material in wire arrays.