Spectral output of Z-machine implosions.
- George C.
- Darrell L.
- Robert G.
- Gordon A.
- David L.
Sandia National Laboratories Z-machine has developed into a reproducible, high power (>200 TW), high temperature (>200 eV) driver for radiation physics experiments. Imploding cylindrical wire arrays on the Z-machine produce a radiation source with a bolometric temperature of about 200 eV. By surrounding the z-pinch implosion with a vacuum hohlraum a nearly Planckian source of about 140 eV temperature is created with peak radiation powers of about 200 terawatts and integrated energy of 2 megajoules or more. In this energy rich environment we can field a dozen experiments all being driven by an identical source. In addition to 'standard' vacuum hohlraums we also use dynamic hohlraums consisting of two nested wire arrays converging onto an axially centered foam cylinder. Radiation flowing from the ends on the cylinder indicates a Planckian source temperature well over 200 eV. Only two experiments can be fielded on a dynamic hohlraum (one on each end) but the higher source temperature justifies the added complexity of the set-up. We routinely use arrays of filtered silicon photodiodes (SiD) and filtered photocathode x-ray diodes (XRD) to determine the temperature of the source. Three different techniques for unfolding spectra from the XRD and SiD detector data are being used. They are: (1) Treat each detector independently and find the Planckian temperature for a given source size and solid angle that would give the measured detector signal, (2) Use all detector signals and detector spectral responses simultaneously and find a spectrum that best fits the observed data, (3) Use all detector signals and averaged detector spectral responses and find a histogram spectrum that best fits the observed data. When used as complementary set of analysis tools these techniques generate remarkably consistent results showing nearly Planckian behavior on our vacuum hohlraum experiments.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 975514
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-01-3135; TRN: US201018%%703
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 1; Conference: Submitted to: 13th International Pulsed Power and 28th International Plasma Science Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 18-22, 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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