Experimental characterization of the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets

Abstract

We present spatially resolved measurements characterizing the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets. Intra-jet collisionality is very high (${\lambda }_{ii}\ll 1$mm), but the inter-jet ion-ion mean free paths are on the same order as the stagnation layer thickness (a few cm). Fast-framing camera images show a double-peaked emission profile transverse to the stagnation layer, with the central emission dip consistent with a density dip observed in the interferometer data. We demonstrate that our observations are consistent with collisional oblique shocks.

5 pages, 7 figures