Coaxial Plasma Gun Research Articles

Experiments with Plasma Rings

THE use of a coaxial plasma gun with radial magnetic field for the production of magnetized plasma rings was suggested1 by H. Alfven in 1958. Experiments with a plasma gun of that type were started in the spring of 1958 and a detailed report is to be published2. We present here some new results obtained during continued experiments with a slightly modified plasma gun.

Experiments with plasma rings

The construction of a coaxial plasma gun is described. At its output end the gun is provided with a radial magnetic field, which is trapped by the plasma. The plasma which is shot out from the gun is studied by photographic and magnetic methods. It is demonstrated that the gun produces magnetized plasma rings with the same basic structure as the rings obtained in toroidal pinch experiments. When the the plasma rings are formed, the magnetic field lines from the gun break, a result which is of interest from a theoretical point of view.