  Spectroscopic measurements of the magnetic field evolution in a Z-pinch
throughout stagnation and with particularly high spatial resolution reveal a
sudden current redistribution from the stagnating plasma (SP) to a low density
plasma (LDP) at larger radii, while the SP continues to implode. Based on the
plasma parameters it is shown that the current is transferred to an
increasing-conductance LDP outside the stagnation, a process likely to be
induced by the increasing impedance of the SP. Since an LDP often exists around
imploding plasmas and in various pulsed-power systems, such a fast current
redistribution may dramatically affect the behavior and achievable parameters
in these systems.
