Diagnostics for the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX)

The Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) is exploring and demonstrating the feasibility of forming HED and MIF relevant imploding spherical ``plasma liners'' that can reach peak pressures $\sim $ 0.1 Mbar at stagnation. Liners will be formed via merging of 30 - 60 dense, high Mach number plasma jets (M $\sim $ 10-35, v $\sim $ 50-70 km/s, jet radius $\sim $ 5 cm) in spherically convergent geometry. Issues include determining parameters (n, T, radius) at stagnation, dynamics of liner formation and convergence, and liner symmetry. Simulations predict wide parameter ranges over the liner evolution, from densities of 10$^{22 }$- 10$^{26}$ m$^{-3}$ and T$_{e}$ $\sim $ T$_{i}$ from 1-500 eV, which necessitate a variety of diagnostics. Diagnostics include multichord visible interferometry and polarimetry, Schlieren imaging, visible and VUV spectroscopy, fast 1D imaging diode arrays, fast cameras, bolometry, and magnetic, electrostatic and pressure probes. This poster overviews and discusses the current status of diagnostic design and implementation.