Electrical resistivity and equation-of-state measurements of a dense aluminum plasma

Summary form only given. An experiment measuring the electrical resistivity and equation of state of an aluminum plasma at 15 eV with a density of order 10/sub 22/ cm/sup -3/ is presented. The experiment is a modified exploding wire experiment. A large current of about 250 kA is passed through a .004" aluminum wire, turning the wire into a plasma. To keep the plasma as uniform as possible, it is encapsulated in lead glass tubing. A combination of diagnostics and simulations is used to determine the properties of the plasma. The diagnostics measure the voltage across the plasma, the current through it, the expansion of the shock produced in the glass, and the time and space resolved X-ray emission from the end of the plasma. Two types of simulations are done. A 1-D calculation is done for the dynamics of the discharge. A 2-D simulation of the plasma near the end of the wire where the X-ray measurements are made is also done. From these calculations and measurements one could determine the resistivity and equation of state of the plasma and compare them with various theories. The results at present show strong disagreement with Spitzer and ideal gas models.