Enhancement of the radiation yield in plasma flow switch experiments

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.87229· OSTI ID:5705906

Buff, J ^[1]; Peterkin, Jr, R E; Roderick, N F ^[2]; Degnan, J H ^[3]; Frese, M H ^[4]; Turchi, P J ^[5]

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1. Mission Research Corp., Nashua, NH (US)
2. Mission Research Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
3. Phillips Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (US)
4. NumerEx, Albuquerque, NM (US)
5. Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

This paper reports that in a series of experiments that was performed at the Phillips Laboratory (Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico), the Shiva Star fast capacitor bank, an inductive store, and a plasma flow switch were used together to deliver multimega-ampere currents with submicrosecond rise times to cylindrical foil loads. Based on two-dimensional MHD simulations with the MACH2 code, the authors previously suggested design modifications to the switch that, when implemented in experiments, substantially increased the fraction of available current that was delivered to the load. The authors have performed a new series of numerical simulations of the plasma flow switch/imploding load system with the goal of discovering a way to boost the total power radiated by the imploding plasmas as it stagnates on the axis of symmetry. The changes to the experimental design that were investigated and which are discussed in this paper include variations of: The shape of the electrodes, size, and mass of the load foil, structure of the axial view vanes, shape and mass of the switching plasma, material from which the load is constructed, the degree to which the load is bowed, and the energy of the capacitor bank. Radiation yields in the range 6-9 TW are predicted for future experiments on Shiva Star.

• OSTI ID: 5705906
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 19:3; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PLASMA SWITCHES
POWER
CAPACITORS
CYLINDERS
DESIGN
ELECTRODES
FOILS
IMPLOSIONS
M CODES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MODIFICATIONS
NEW MEXICO
PLASMA EXPANSION
SHIVA FACILITY
SIMULATION
SYMMETRY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
YIELDS
COMPUTER CODES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EXPANSION
FEDERAL REGION VI
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
SWITCHES
USA
426000* - Engineering- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits- (1990-)
700330 - Plasma Kinetics
Transport
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