Characterization of a 12-cm-diameter, triple-shell gas puff nozzle for argon z-pinch experuvients at 6 ma

The distribution of gas injected by a 12-cm-diameter, triple-shell nozzle in the Saturn Z pinch experiments is characterized in this study using a high-sensitivity interferometer. The mass distribution at the time of current initiation is used as an initial condition for snowplow implosion modeling. Mass distribution obtained with the interferometer is compared with that obtained using the planar laser-induced fluorescence method. Significant differences are observed in the mass distributions obtained by the two methods that are due in part to the presence of a cathode screen in the interferometry method.