Cylindrical <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>-pinch in gas. I. Determination of dependences between discharge integral characteristics

The previously unknown dependences between integral characteristics of the cylindrical Z-pinch in argon were experimentally studied at the stage of its current shell formation and at the initial stage of its plasma pinch compression. Based on these dependences, the power balance at the above stages was determined taking into account the discharge magnetic field energy, electrodynamic force work, gas ionization energy, Joule and shock heating of plasma.