Subnanosecond Thomson scattering on a vacuum arc discharge in tin vapor

In a previous series of Thomson scattering (TS) experiments on an extreme ultraviolet producing vacuum arc discharge in tin vapor, background radiation emitted by the plasma was found to make measurements impossible for all parts of the discharge except the prepinch phase. To reduce the level of recorded background radiation, we have built a setup for time and space resolved subnanosecond TS. Results obtained with this new setup are presented for experiments on previously inaccessible parts of the discharge—the ignition phase, pinch phase, and decay phase. For the first two, measurements have been performed at different heights in the plasma. Electron densities for the pinch phase have been derived. For the decay phase, the electron densities confirm previous Stark broadening data. From the overall results, a more complete picture of the plasma evolution can be formed.