Experimental study of force-free, collinear plasma structures

Detailed measurements of the trapped magnetic fields and currents in plasma structures generated by conical theta-pinches are reported. Studies of these structures interacting with a magnetic barrier, and with each other in a collision at the centre of a magnetic mirror, are reported. The magnetic well formed by the collision has been studied by simultaneous use of several diagnostic techniques. The measurements are in agreement with a force-free, collinear magnetic field configuration (Wells 1972). Arguments relating superposability and collinearity of flow fields to these observations are given.