New results from 1-MA planar wire array experiments focused on the time-gated measurements of cold Kα lines

Summary form only given. Previous experiments on the 1-MA "Zebra" generator at the University of Nevada, Reno studied L-shell Cu and Zn emissions from implosions of brass planar wire arrays. Essentially the results of that study shows how the temporal variation in electron temperature (Te = 320-450 eV) correlates with the X-ray burst during the stagnation stage. The purpose of the present study was to expand upon the previous knowledge by investigating the temporal behavior of cold K-shell characteristic lines that originate from the cooler plasma. This will provide understanding of the nature of cooler plasmas and also electron beams. In order to capture the cold Kalpha lines from the wire material (1.39-1.54 Aring), the time-gated spectrometer was used with a LiF crystal. The diagnostic suite also included time-integrated spatially resolved spectrometers capturing L-shell and K-shell spectra using a KAP crystal and a LiF crystal, respectively, time-integrated and time-gated pinhole imaging, PCD, XRD, Si-diode signals, and laser shadowgraphy. The WADM is used to analyze the array implosion. Radiation MHD is preformed to understand the origin of strong gradients in the plasma electron temperature. The usefulness of measuring cold Kalpha lines with time resolution for a better understanding of wire array plasma formation is demonstrated.