Proof-of-principle of the ion deflectometry for B-field measurements in Z-pinch plasmas.*

We have successfully tested the feasibility of the ion deflectometry in deuterium gas-puff MA Z-pinch experiments on GIT-12. In a unique configuration, we employ ion beams, accelerated during a Z-pinch current disruption, for ion imaging technique as a diagnostic tool for B-field measurements in Z-pinch plasma. Pinhole-camera detectors obtain experimental images of the deflected ion beams. Simulations of ion trajectories deflected in B-fields are used to analyze experimental data and show capabilities of this diagnostic method. For the first time, we can study magnetic fields on-axis of the Z-pinch and to estimate a Z-pinch current.