Staged Z-pinch experiments at the 1MA Zebra pulsed power generator using Kr-liner and Cu-W nozzle and cathode

In these experiments a krypton liner is compressing deuterium target while the plasma column is stabilized with external axial magnetic field B_z = 0.5-1.5 kG. The cathode and the gas injection nozzle erosion is minimized by using copper-tungsten alloy. Multi-spoke and honeycomb cathodes are used, with the later providing more consistent pinches. The pinch stability is monitored with two quad X-ray pinhole cameras. The fusion neutrons are diagnosed with silver activation diagnostics, neutron bubble detectors and four time of flight detectors (nTOF). Consistently high neutron yields in the ~5-10 x10⁹ range are measured and their thermonuclear origin is suggested by data from a pair of horizontally and vertically placed nTOFs. The eight frame X-ray pinhole camera images confirm the staged Z-pinch stability.