Ion shock layer characterization in multi-ion-species plasma jet experiments

We report measurements of density, electron temperature, and ionization state across shock layers formed during collisions between multi-ion-species plasma jets and quasi-stagnant plasma. Previous experiments suggest that these shocks are collisional, with a post-shock mean-free-path substantially smaller than the centimeter scale shock layer. Present efforts focus on characterizing the axial and radial distribution of ion species on scales between the expected ion shock and electron preheat layer thicknesses using spatially resolved spectroscopy and high-speed photography. These jet experiments provide a platform to study the role of non-LTE effects in plasma shocks while also benchmarking existing theoretical and computational models relevant to astrophysical scenarios and high-energy-density physics.