We are continuing development of a Low Impedance Z-Discharge Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc (LIZ-MeVVA) to produce multiply ionized metallic ions. The arc can be operated in both an LC dominated 'ringing current' mode and a critically damped 'pulsed current' mode. Ions are extracted and analyzed using Time-of-Flight (TOF), with similar results for either type of discharge. Using aluminum electrodes we have detected Al+ and Al++.

A hot stable field-reversed configuration (FRC) has been produced in the C-2 experiment by colliding and merging two high-beta plasmoids preformed by the dynamic version of field-reversed theta-pinch technology. The merging process exhibits the highest poloidal flux amplification obtained in a magnetic confinement system (over tenfold increase). Most of the kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy with total temperature (T(i) + T(e)) exceeding 0.5 keV. The final FRC state exhibits a record FRC lifetime with flux confinement approaching classical values. These findings should have significant implications for fusion research and the physics of magnetic reconnection.