Gasdynamic and Kinetic Stages of the Gas Z-Pinch

Abstract

A phenomenological gasdynamic model of the compression of the gas Z-pinch neck through whose ends the plasma flows out at a high velocity was considered. Calculations showed that in this process, conditions are created under which the relaxation of the ion plasma component is delayed compared to the macroscopic compression dynamics. Therefore, the description of the Z-pinches at their maximum compression stage has to account for the ion kinetics. This approach can explain the mechanism of the ion acceleration to high energies as well as the high intensity of the neutron radiation at the final stage of the neck compression.