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(IFP/17) Filamentation and Networking of Electric Currents in Dense Z-Pinch Plasmas

A. B. Kukushkin, V. A. Rantsev-Kartinov

INF RRC ``Kurchatov Institute'', Moscow, 123182 Russia

Abstract.  The results of high-resolution processing using the multilevel dynamical contrasting method of earlier experiments on linear Z-pinches are presented which illustrate formation of a dynamical percolating network woven by long-living filaments of electric current. A qualitative approach is outlined which treats long-living filaments as a classical plasma formation governed by the long-range quantum bonds provided, at the microscopical level, by nanotubes of elements of optimal valence. The self-similarity of structuring in laboratory and cosmic plasmas is shown, and examples are found of nanotube-like and/or fullerene-like structures of cosmic length scales.

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IAEA 2001