Three-dimensional hydromagnetic simulation of high-velocity gas-puff Z-pinch

Journal Article · Sun Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1999 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.763078· OSTI ID:357685

Peterkin, Jr, R E; Lileikis, D E ^[1]; Roderick, N F ^[2]; Colella, S ^[3]

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1. Air Force Research Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (United States). Center for Plasma Theory and Computation
2. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering
3. NumerEx, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Perhaps the most popular method for producing intense thermal X rays is the high-energy Z-pinch. Experiments on the Sandia National Laboratories Saturn pulsed power machine have produced high-velocity Z-pinch plasma implosions of krypton gas puffs from a circular nozzle. The authors use the three-dimensional (3-D), time-dependent MACH3 magnetohydrodynamics code to simulate these experiments. Generally, the quality of Z-pinch implosions is degraded by hydromagnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. The images displayed in this paper illustrate the growth in time of this instability in three spatial dimensions from a modest (and realistic) initial 3-D perturbation.

• Sponsoring Organization: Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 357685
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 27; ISSN ITPSBD; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
IMPLOSIONS
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
KRYPTON
LONGITUDINAL PINCH
PLASMA SIMULATION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TIME DEPENDENCE
X-RAY SOURCES