Two-dimensional simulations of foil implosion experiments on the Los Alamos capacitor bank
A number of z-pinch experiments have been conducted at Los Alamos on the Pegasus capacitor bank in which 2-cm high, 5-cm radius, thin foil loads were imploded with currents in excess of 3 MA. Two-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulations of these implosions have been performed to model the implosion dynamics and subsequent generation of an x-ray pulse. Comparison of the simulation instability development with visible light framing camera photographs show good agreement and illustrate the instability evolution from short to long wavelengths and a final disruption of the imploding plasma shell. The calculations also show good agreement with experimental timing and measured current and voltage waveforms, and also reproduce features characteristic of the x-ray output. These include a broad pulsewidth, and thepresence of multiple peaks and small time scale structures, features which cannot be reproduced by one-dimensional models. X-ray spectra obtained from the calculated pinch also reproduce qualitative features inthe measured spectra.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6429210
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-93-1393; CONF-9304126-7; ON: DE93012676
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 3. international conference on dense z-pinches, London (United Kingdom), 19-23 Apr 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
FOILS
IMPLOSIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ALUMINIUM
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
THICKNESS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
X-RAY SPECTRA
CONFINEMENT
DIMENSIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
METALS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
SIMULATION
SPECTRA
700350* - Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions- (1992-)
700330 - Plasma Kinetics
Transport
& Impurities- (1992-)
990200 - Mathematics & Computers