Pressure Distribution in the Structure of a Propagating Current Sheet

The structure of the current sheet in a dynamic $z$ pinch in argon is studied with a specialized highspeed piezoelectric pressure transducer capable of following profiles of axial and radial pressure within the discharge. Correlation of these data with electric and magnetic field profiles, luminosity, and voltage records, indicates three distinct zones within the sheet in sequence, regions of electron current conduction, mass accumulation with ion current conduction, and induced flow of unswept gas. Profiles of particle density, velocity, and temperature are evaluated on the basis of a simplified gas‐kinetic model. The current sheet is found to entrain a large percentage of the gas encountered, and a momentum balance across the sheet is in approximate agreement with snowplow predictions, but the distributions of current and mass density differ categorically from conventional piston‐shock wave models.