Equation-of-State Measurements with Z-Pinch Sources
Validation of material models in a variety of scientific and technological applications requires accurate data regarding the high-pressure thermodynamic and mechanical properties. Traditional laboratory techniques for striking these measurements involve light gas guns to generate the required thermodynamic states, and the use of high-resolution time-resolved diagnostics to measure the desired material properties. EOS and constitutive material properties of importance to modeling needs include high-pressure Hugoniot curves and off-Hugoniot properties, such as. material strength and isentropic compression and decompression [1]. Conventional light gas guns are limited to impact pressures of about 7 Mbar in high-impedance materials. Pulsed radiation sources, such as high-intensity lasers, and pulsed power techniques significantly extend the accessible pressures and are becoming accepted methods for meeting the needs of material models in regimes inaccessible by gas guns. A present limitation of these new approaches is that samples must necessarily be small, typically a few tens of microns in thickness, which severely limits the accuracy of EOS measurements that can be made and also the ability to perform a variety of off-Hugoniot measurements. However, recent advances in z-pinch techniques for high-pressure material response studies provide potential opportunities for achieving accuracies comparable with gas guns because of the significantly larger samples that can be studied. Sample thicknesses approaching 1 mm may be possible with advances presently being made. These sample dimensions are comparable with gas gun sample dimensions so that accuracies should be comparable. The Sandia Z accelerator [2] is a recently developed facility that generates x-ray energies of about 2 MJ over time scales of 5-10 ns with resulting temperatures of 100-150 eV in containment fixtures, referred to as hohlraums, that are a few cubic centimeters in volume. This intense radiation source can be used to ablatively drive shock waves to about pressures of about 10 Mbar in a variety of materials. Because of the large source. In this paper, we discuss recent developments in the use of the Sandia Z accelerator for Hugoniot and off-Hugoniot measurements. Preliminary data on high-pressure dynamic response include Hugoniot EOS data on aluminum to about 5 Mbar using the z-pinch technique and isentropic compression data on iron and copper to about 300 and 130 kbar, respectively, using the direct current mode on Z. The isentropic compression experiments are performed on sample thicknesses to 0.8 mm and allow determination of the cx-s phase transition and the kinetic properties of this transition. Specifically, isentropic compression data on iron have been analyzed with a two-phase rate dependent model of the bcc-hcp phase transition, which shows that the relatively slow rates of pressure application achieved with this technique result in observable kinetic effects that can be easily analyzed. Other work in progress with the Z Accelerator includes EOS studies of liquid deutenum and the development of uniform, constant pressure drives that will provide higher accuracy in EOS measurements.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 9506
- Report Number(s):
- SAND99-0450C; TRN: US0103141
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: AIRAPT-17, International Conference on High Pressure Science and Technology, Honolulu, HI (US), 07/25/1999--07/30/1999; Other Information: PBD: 22 Jul 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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