Improved Symmetry Greatly Increases X-Ray Power from Wire-Array {ital Z}-Pinches

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.5063· OSTI ID:404079

Sanford, T W; Allshouse, G O; Marder, B M; Nash, T J; Mock, R C; Spielman, R B; Seamen, J F; McGurn, J S; Jobe, D; Gilliland, T L; Vargas, M; Struve, K W; Stygar, W A; Douglas, M R; Matzen, M K ^[1]; Hammer, J H; De Groot, J S; Eddleman, J L ^[2]; Peterson, D L ^[3]; Mosher, D ^[4] ; Whitney, K G; Thornhill, J W; Pulsifer, P E; Apruzese, J P ^[5]; Maron, Y ^[6]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545-0010 (United States)
4. Naval Research Laboratory, Pulsed Power Physics Branch, Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States)
5. Naval Research Laboratory, Radiation Hydrodynamics Branch, Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States)
6. Department of Nuclear Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100 (Israel)

A systematic experimental study of annular aluminum-wire {ital Z}-pinches on a 20-TW electrical generator shows that the measured spatial characteristics and emitted x-ray power agree more closely with rad-hydro simulations when large numbers of wires are used. The measured x-ray power increases first slowly and then rapidly with decreasing interwire gap spacing. Simulations suggested that this increase reflects the transition from implosion of individual wire plasmas to one of an azimuthally symmetric plasma shell. In the plasma-shell regime, x-ray powers of 40TW are achieved. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 404079
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 77, Issue 25; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION
X RADIATION
LINEAR Z PINCH DEVICES
WIRES
ALUMINIUM
SIMULATION
PLASMA