Magnetic flux pile-up and ion heating in a current sheet formed by colliding magnetized plasma flows*

We present data from experiments carried out at the Magpie pulsed power facility, which show the detailed structure of the interaction of counter-streaming magnetized plasma flows. In our quasi-2D setup[1,2], continuous supersonic flows are produced with strong embedded magnetic fields of opposing directions. Their interaction leads to the formation of a dense and long-lasting current sheet, where we observe the pile-up of the magnetic flux at the sheet boundary, as well as the annihilation of field inside, accompanied by an increase in plasma temperature. Spatially resolved measurements with Faraday rotation polarimetry, B-dot probes, XUV imaging, Thomson scattering and laser interferometry diagnostics show the detailed distribution of the magnetic field and other plasma parameters throughout the system. [1] Suttle et. al, PRL (2016), [2] Hare et. al, PRL (2017)