Dense plasmas research in the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission: past, present and future

A review of the dense transient plasmas researches, developed in the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission, is presented. A brief summary of the researches done in collaboration with the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, between 1993 to 1997, is shown. In addition, the program "Plasma Physics in Small Devices", developed at the Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear since 1999 is delineated. The diagnostics development and results obtained during three experiments using small pinch devices are shown: a capillary discharge; a Z pinch driven by a small generator; and a low energy plasma focus. The experiments were complemented by magnetohydrodynamics numerical calculations, in order to assist the design and physical interpretation of the experimental data. The diagnostics techniques used in these experiments include current and voltage monitors, multipinhole camera, plasma image using a ICCD camera gated from 3 to 20 ns, holographic interferometry, and vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy. Recently, the pulse power generator SPEED 2, a medium energy and large current device (187kJ, 4MA, 300kV, 400ns, dI/dt ~ 10 13 A/s), has been transferred from the Düsseldorf University to the Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear. Future experiments, and the perspectives of using this device, are also discussed.