Use of tracers in double shell Z-pinches to study implosion dynamics

Summary form only given. We are now using a double shell gas nozzle as a Z-pinch X-ray source for long duration (∼200 ns) implosions. While the primary purpose of this mass configuration is to mitigate instability growth, it also has the benefit that the atomic composition of each shell can be unique. We report here on the use of a chlorine tracer in a predominately argon pinch. With the chlorine present only in the inner shell, chlorine K-shell line emission is readily seen from the core of the pinch. With the chlorine present only in the outer shell, the chlorine emission is greatly reduced. This result implies that there is relatively little mixing between the two shells. We discuss details of these observations as a function of position in (and time during) the implosion and correlate the results with data on the spatial structure of the gas shells.