Effect of current prepulse on wire array initiation on the 1-MA ZEBRA accelerator
- Ktech Corporation, Albuquerque, 10800 Gibson Boulevard, New Mexico 87123 (United States)
Experiments on the 1-MA ZEBRA accelerator with reduced current prepulse duration, using a flashover switch, demonstrate a significant increase of initial energy deposition into the tungsten wire array before breakdown, and of total radiation energy from the Z pinch. Shorter current prepulse raises the current rate through each individual wire in the array and results in an increase of the energy deposition into wire cores before breakdown. In our experiments, the inferred tungsten wire temperature increases from {approx}800 K (with 250 ns prepulse) up to {approx}3700 K (with 60 ns prepulse). Total radiation energy increases from 12 to 16 kJ. Our experimental results relate wire-array initiation to heating of the individual array wires up to the time of breakdown.
- OSTI ID:
- 20974996
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 14, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2734575; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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