Diagnostics and first results for the PLX PJMIF target plasma jets*

The PLX BETHE team will perform a liner on target experiment for Plasma Jet Magneto-Inertial Fusion (PJMIF) at LANL. The target is made by stagnating multiple magnetized plasma jets. The goal nominal jet parameters are density of 3x10¹⁴ cm^-3, temperature above 5 eV, velocity of 100 km/s, and magnetic field of 1 kG. To verify these parameters we measure velocity, T_e, density, and magnetic field. The diagnostics are interferometry, movable B-dot probe array, movable triple probe, spatially resolved photodiodes, high speed imaging, and time resolved spectroscopy. A second chord has been added to the interferometer with provision for a third, and SNR has been improved by a factor of ten. Automating data collection (using LabView) and analysis speeds up the evaluation of parameters (accelerator voltage, dispensed gas mass, gas valve timing, magnet current, etc.) which produce the best target plasma. The supersonic magnetized plasma poses diagnostic challenges due to shock formation around probes which are discussed along with the means used to address them.