Experimental characterization of the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets

We present spatially resolved measurements characterizing the stagnation layer between two obliquely merging supersonic plasma jets. Intra-jet collisionality is very high ($\lambda_{ii} \ll 1$mm), but the inter-jet ion-ion mean free paths are on the same order as the stagnation layer thickness (a few cm). Fast-framing camera images show a double-peaked emission profile transverse to the stagnation layer, with the central emission dip consistent with a density dip observed in the interferometer data. We demonstrate that our observations are consistent with collisional oblique shocks.