Publications

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Power flow studies on the 30-MA, 100-ns Z facility at Sandia National Laborat ories (SNL) have shown that plasmas in the facility's magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) can result in a loss of current delivered to the load. 1 During the current pulse, thermal energy deposition into the electrodes (ohmic heating, charged particle bombardment, etc.) causes neutral surface contaminants layers (water, hydrogen, hydrocarbons, etc.) to desorb, ionize, and form plasmas in the anode-cathode (AK) gap. 2 Shrinking typical ele ctrode thicknesses (~1 cm) down to that of thin foils (5-200 μm) produces observable amounts of plasma on smaller pulsed power drivers (≤1 MA). 3 We suspect that as the electrode material bulk thickness decreases relative to the skin depth of the current pulse (50-100 μm for a 100-500-ns pulse in aluminum), the thermal energy delivered to the neutral surface contaminant layers increases, and thus more surface contaminants desorb from the current carrying surface.

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In previous studies using the University of Nevada, Reno's (UNR's) high-impedance Zebra Marx generator (1.9 ω, 1.7 MA, 100 ns), Double Planar Wire Arrays (DPWAs) proved to be excellent radiators, and Double Planar Foil Liners (DPFLs) proved useful for future inertial confinement fusion applications. This article presents the results of joint UNR/UM (University of Michigan) experiments with aluminum (Al) DPWAs, Al DPFLs, and tungsten (W) DPWAs using UM's Michigan Accelerator for Inductive Z-Pinch Experiments (MAIZE) generator, a low-impedance Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) (0.1 ω, 0.5-1 MA, and 100-250 ns). The main goals of this study were twofold: the first was a pioneering effort to test whether a relatively heavy Al DPFL could successfully be imploded on a low-impedance university-scale LTD like the MAIZE generator, and, if so, to analyze the results and make comparisons to the optimized, lighter DPWA configurations that have been previously studied. The DPWAs consisted of two planes of micrometer-scale diameter Al or W wires, while the DPFLs consisted of two planes of micrometer-scale thickness Al foils. Diagnostics include filtered Si-diodes, an absolutely calibrated filtered PCD, x-ray pinhole cameras, spectrometers, and gated optical self-emission imaging. The implosion dynamics and radiative properties of Al DPWAs and DPFLs and W DPWAs on the MAIZE LTD are discussed and compared. Time-dependent load inductance calculations derived from measurements of the load current and a MAIZE circuit model provide a relative measurement of pinch strength. In experiments on MAIZE, W planar wire arrays exhibited a higher peak load inductance throughout the pinch than Al DPWAs and DPFLs, while x-ray pulses from Al DPFLs had the longest emission duration.

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This report describes the high-level accomplishments from the Plasma Science and Engineering Grand Challenge LDRD at Sandia National Laboratories. The Laboratory has a need to demonstrate predictive capabilities to model plasma phenomena in order to rapidly accelerate engineering development in several mission areas. The purpose of this Grand Challenge LDRD was to advance the fundamental models, methods, and algorithms along with supporting electrode science foundation to enable a revolutionary shift towards predictive plasma engineering design principles. This project integrated the SNL knowledge base in computer science, plasma physics, materials science, applied mathematics, and relevant application engineering to establish new cross-laboratory collaborations on these topics. As an initial exemplar, this project focused efforts on improving multi-scale modeling capabilities that are utilized to predict the electrical power delivery on large-scale pulsed power accelerators. Specifically, this LDRD was structured into three primary research thrusts that, when integrated, enable complex simulations of these devices: (1) the exploration of multi-scale models describing the desorption of contaminants from pulsed power electrodes, (2) the development of improved algorithms and code technologies to treat the multi-physics phenomena required to predict device performance, and (3) the creation of a rigorous verification and validation infrastructure to evaluate the codes and models across a range of challenge problems. These components were integrated into initial demonstrations of the largest simulations of multi-level vacuum power flow completed to-date, executed on the leading HPC computing machines available in the NNSA complex today. These preliminary studies indicate relevant pulsed power engineering design simulations can now be completed in (of order) several days, a significant improvement over pre-LDRD levels of performance.

Magnetically driven implosions are susceptible to magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, including the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability (MRTI). To reduce MRTI growth in solid-metal liner implosions, the use of a dynamic screw pinch (DSP) has been proposed [P. F. Schmit et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 205001 (2016)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.117.205001]. In a DSP configuration, a helical return-current structure surrounds the liner, resulting in a helical magnetic field that drives the implosion. Here, we present the first experimental tests of a solid-metal liner implosion driven by a DSP. Using the 1-MA, 100-200-ns COBRA pulsed-power driver, we tested three DSP cases (with peak axial magnetic fields of 2 T, 14 T, and 20 T) and a standard z-pinch (SZP) case (with a straight return-current structure and thus zero axial field). The liners had an initial radius of 3.2 mm and were made from 650-nm-thick aluminum foil. Images collected during the experiments reveal that helical MRTI modes developed in the DSP cases, while nonhelical (azimuthally symmetric) MRTI modes developed in the SZP case. Additionally, the MRTI amplitudes for the 14-T and 20-T DSP cases were smaller than in the SZP case. Specifically, when the liner had imploded to half of its initial radius, the MRTI amplitudes for the SZP case and for the 14-T and 20-T DSP cases were, respectively, 1.1±0.3 mm, 0.7±0.2 mm, and 0.3±0.1 mm. Relative to the SZP, the stabilization obtained using the DSP agrees reasonably well with theoretical estimates.

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We have developed a physics-based transmission-line-circuit model of the Z pulsed-power accelerator. The 33-m-diameter Z machine generates a peak electrical power as high as 85 TW, and delivers as much as 25 MA to a physics load. The circuit model is used to design and analyze experiments conducted on Z. The model consists of 36 networks of transmission-line-circuit elements and resistors that represent each of Zs 36 modules. The model of each module includes a Marx generator, intermediate-energy-storage capacitor, laser-triggered gas switch, pulse-forming line, self-break water switches, and tri-plate transmission lines. The circuit model also includes elements that represent Zs water convolute, vacuum insulator stack, four parallel outer magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs), double-post-hole vacuum convolute, inner vacuum MITL, and physics load. Within the vacuum-transmission-line system the model conducts analytic calculations of current loss. To calculate the loss, the model simulates the following processes: (i) electron emission from MITL cathode surfaces wherever an electric-field threshold has been exceeded; (ii) electron loss in the MITLs before magnetic insulation has been established; (iii) flow of electrons emitted by the outer-MITL cathodes after insulation has been established; (iv) closure of MITL anode-cathode (AK) gaps due to expansion of cathode plasma; (v) energy loss to MITL conductors operated at high lineal current densities; (vi) heating of MITL-anode surfaces due to conduction current and deposition of electron kinetic energy; (vii) negative-space-charge-enhanced ion emission from MITL anode surfaces wherever an anode-surface-temperature threshold has been exceeded; and (viii) closure of MITL AK gaps due to expansion of anode plasma. The circuit model is expected to be most accurate when the fractional current loss is small. We have performed circuit simulations of 52 Z experiments conducted with a variety of accelerator configurations and load-impedance time histories. For these experiments, the apparent fractional current loss varies from 0% to 20%. Results of the circuit simulations agree with data acquired on 52 shots to within 2%.

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Many experiments on Sandia National Laboratories' Z Pulsed Power Facility - a 30 MA, 100 ns rise-time, pulsed-power driver - use a monochromatic quartz crystal backlighter system at 1.865 keV (Si Heα) or 6.151 keV (Mn Heα) x-ray energy to radiograph an imploding liner (cylindrical tube) or wire array z-pinch. The x-ray source is generated by the Z-Beamlet laser, which provides two 527-nm, 1 kJ, 1-ns laser pulses. Radiographs of imploding, thick-walled beryllium liners at convergence ratios CR above 15 [CR=ri(0)/ri(t)] using the 6.151-keV backlighter system were too opaque to identify the inner radius ri of the liner with high confidence, demonstrating the need for a higher-energy x-ray radiography system. Here, we present a 7.242 keV backlighter system using a Ge(335) spherical crystal with the Co Heα resonance line. This system operates at a similar Bragg angle as the existing 1.865 keV and 6.151 keV backlighters, enhancing our capabilities for two-color, two-frame radiography without modifying the system integration at Z. The first data taken at Z include 6.2-keV and 7.2-keV two-color radiographs as well as radiographs of low-convergence (CR about 4-5), high-areal-density liner implosions.

Magnetically driven implosions of solid metal shells are an effective vehicle to compress materials to extreme pressures and densities. Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities (RTI) are ubiquitous, yet typically undesired features in all such experiments where solid materials are rapidly accelerated to high velocities. In cylindrical shells ("liners"), the magnetic field driving the implosion can exacerbate the RTI. We suggest an approach to implode solid metal liners enabling a remarkable reduction in the growth of magnetized RTI (MRTI) by employing a magnetic drive with a tilted, dynamic polarization, forming a dynamic screw pinch. Our calculations, based on a self-consistent analytic framework, demonstrate that the cumulative growth of the most deleterious MRTI modes may be reduced by as much as 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. One key application of this technique is to generate increasingly stable, higher-performance implosions of solid metal liners to achieve fusion [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)]. We weigh the potentially dramatic benefits of the solid liner dynamic screw pinch against the experimental tradeoffs required to achieve the desired drive field history and identify promising designs for future experimental and computational studies.

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Magneti zed Liner Inerti al Fusion (MagLIF ) is an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) concept that includes a strong magnetic field embedded in the fuel to mitigate thermal conduction loss during the implosion . MagLIF experiments on Sandia's 20 MA Z Machine uses an external Helmholtz - like coil pair for fuel premagnetization . By contrast, t he novel AutoMag concept employs a composite liner (cylindrical tube) with helically oriented conduction paths separated by insulating material to provide axial premagnetization of the fuel . Initially, during a current prepulse that slowly rises to %7E1 MA, current flows helically through the AutoMag liner , and so urces the fuel with an axial field . Next, a rapidly rising main current pulse breaks down the insulation and current in th e liner becomes purely axial. The liner and premagnetized fuel are then compressed by the rapidly growing azimuthal field external to t he liner. This integrated axial - field - production mechanism offers a few potential advantages when compared to the externa l premagnetization coils. AutoMag can increase drive current to MagLIF experiments by enabling a lower inductance transmission line , provide higher premagnetization field (>30 T), and greatly increase radial x - ray diagnostic access. 3D electromagnetic si mulations using ANSYS Maxwell have been completed in order to explore the current distributions within the helical conduction paths, the inter - wire dielectric strength properties, and the thermal properties of the helical conduction paths during premagneti zation (%7E1 MA in 100ns). Th ree liner designs , of varying peak field strength, and associated varying risk of dielectric breakdown, will soon be tested in experiments on the %7E 1 MA, 100ns Mykonos facility. Experiments will measure B z (t) inside of the line r and assess failure mechanisms.

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Several magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments have been conducted on the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories since late 2013. Measurements of the primary DD (2.45 MeV) neutrons for these experiments suggest that the neutron production is thermonuclear. Primary DD yields up to 3e12 with ion temperatures ∼2-3 keV have been achieved. Measurements of the secondary DT (14 MeV) neutrons indicate that the fuel is significantly magnetized. Measurements of down-scattered neutrons from the beryllium liner suggest ρRliner∼1g/cm2. Neutron bang times, estimated from neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) measurements, coincide with peak x-ray production. Plans to improve and expand the Z neutron diagnostic suite include neutron burn-history diagnostics, increased sensitivity and higher precision nTOF detectors, and neutron recoil-based yield and spectral measurements.

Enhanced implosion stability has been experimentally demonstrated for magnetically accelerated liners that are coated with 70 μm of dielectric. The dielectric tamps liner-mass redistribution from electrothermal instabilities and also buffers coupling of the drive magnetic field to the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability. A dielectric-coated and axially premagnetized beryllium liner was radiographed at a convergence ratio [CR=Rin,0/Rin(z,t)] of 20, which is the highest CR ever directly observed for a strengthless magnetically driven liner. The inner-wall radius Rin(z,t) displayed unprecedented uniformity, varying from 95 to 130 μm over the 4.0 mm axial height captured by the radiograph.

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Sandia National Laboratories is pursuing a variation of Magneto-Inertial Fusion called Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion, or MagLIF. The MagLIF approach requires magnetization of the deuterium fuel, which is accomplished by an initial external B-Field and laser-driven pre-heat. While magnetization is crucial to the concept, it is challenging to couple sufficient energy to the fuel, since laser-plasma instabilities exist, and a compromise between laser spot size, laser entrance window thickness, and fuel density must be found. Nonlinear processes in laser plasma interaction, or laser-plasma instabilities (LPI), complicate the deposition of laser energy by enhanced absorption, backscatter, filamentation and beam-spray. Key LPI processes are determined, and mitigation methods are discussed. Results with and without improvement measures are presented.

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We report on the progress made to date for a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project aimed at diagnosing magnetic flux compression on the Z pulsed-power accelerator (0-20 MA in 100 ns). Each experiment consisted of an initially solid Be or Al liner (cylindrical tube), which was imploded using the Z accelerator's drive current (0-20 MA in 100 ns). The imploding liner compresses a 10-T axial seed field, B z ( 0 ) , supplied by an independently driven Helmholtz coil pair. Assuming perfect flux conservation, the axial field amplification should be well described by B z ( t ) = B z ( 0 ) x [ R ( 0 ) / R ( t )] 2 , where R is the liner's inner surface radius. With perfect flux conservation, B z ( t ) and dB z / dt values exceeding 10 4 T and 10 12 T/s, respectively, are expected. These large values, the diminishing liner volume, and the harsh environment on Z, make it particularly challenging to measure these fields. We report on our latest efforts to do so using three primary techniques: (1) micro B-dot probes to measure the fringe fields associated with flux compression, (2) streaked visible Zeeman absorption spectroscopy, and (3) fiber-based Faraday rotation. We also mention two new techniques that make use of the neutron diagnostics suite on Z. These techniques were not developed under this LDRD, but they could influence how we prioritize our efforts to diagnose magnetic flux compression on Z in the future. The first technique is based on the yield ratio of secondary DT to primary DD reactions. The second technique makes use of the secondary DT neutron time-of-flight energy spectra. Both of these techniques have been used successfully to infer the degree of magnetization at stagnation in fully integrated Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments on Z [P. F. Schmit et al. , Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 , 155004 (2014); P. F. Knapp et al. , Phys. Plasmas, 22 , 056312 (2015)]. Finally, we present some recent developments for designing and fabricating novel micro B-dot probes to measure B z ( t ) inside of an imploding liner. In one approach, the micro B-dot loops were fabricated on a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB was then soldered to off-the-shelf 0.020- inch-diameter semi-rigid coaxial cables, which were terminated with standard SMA connectors. These probes were recently tested using the COBRA pulsed power generator (0-1 MA in 100 ns) at Cornell University. In another approach, we are planning to use new multi-material 3D printing capabilities to fabricate novel micro B-dot packages. In the near future, we plan to 3D print these probes and then test them on the COBRA generator. With successful operation demonstrated at 1-MA, we will then make plans to use these probes on a 20-MA Z experiment.

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Radial wire array Z-pinches, where wires are positioned radially outward from a central cathode to a concentric anode, can act as a compact bright X-ray source that could potentially be used to drive a hohlraum. Experiments were performed on the 7-MA Saturn generator using radial wire arrays. These experiments studied a number of potential risks in scaling radial wire arrays up from the 1-MA level, where they have been shown to be a promising compact X-ray source. Data indicate that at 7 MA, radial wire arrays can radiate ∼9 TW with 10-ns full-width at half-maximum from a compact pinch.

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Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments performed at Sandia's Z facility have demonstrated significant thermonuclear fusion neutron yields (∼10¹² DD neutrons) from multi-keV deuterium plasmas inertially confined by slow (∼10 cm/μs), stable, cylindrical implosions. Effective magnetic confinement of charged fusion reactants and products is signaled by high secondary DT neutron yields above 10¹⁰. Analysis of extensive power, imaging, and spectroscopic x-ray measurements provides a detailed picture of ∼3 keV temperatures, 0.3 g/cm³ densities, gradients, and mix in the fuel and liner over the 1-2 ns stagnation duration.

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The magnetized liner inertial fusion concept [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] utilizes a magnetic field and laser heating to relax the pressure requirements of inertial confinement fusion. The first experiments to test the concept [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)] were conducted utilizing the 19 MA, 100-ns Z machine, the 2.5-kJ, 1 TW Z Beamlet laser, and the 10-T Applied B-field on Z system. Despite an estimated implosion velocity of only 70-km/s in these experiments, electron and ion temperatures at stagnation were as high as 3-keV, and thermonuclear deuterium-deuterium neutron yields up to 2-×-10¹² have been produced. X-ray emission from the fuel at stagnation had widths ranging from 50 to 110 μm over a roughly 80% of the axial extent of the target (6-8-mm) and lasted approximately 2-ns. X-ray yields from these experiments are consistent with a stagnation density of the hot fuel equal to 0.2-0.4-g/cm³. In these experiments, up to 5-×-10¹⁰ secondary deuterium-tritium neutrons were produced. Given that the areal density of the plasma was approximately 1-2-mg/cm², this indicates the stagnation plasma was significantly magnetized, which is consistent with the anisotropy observed in the deuterium-tritium neutron spectra. Control experiments where the laser and/or magnetic field were not utilized failed to produce stagnation temperatures greater than 1-keV and primary deuterium-deuterium yields greater than 10¹⁰. An additional control experiment where the fuel contained a sufficient dopant fraction to substantially increase radiative losses also failed to produce a relevant stagnation temperature. The results of these experiments are consistent with a thermonuclear neutron source.

Presented is a semi-analytic model of magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF). This model accounts for several key aspects of MagLIF, including: (1) preheat of the fuel (optionally via laser absorption); (2) pulsed-power-driven liner implosion; (3) liner compressibility with an analytic equation of state, artificial viscosity, internal magnetic pressure, and ohmic heating; (4) adiabatic compression and heating of the fuel; (5) radiative losses and fuel opacity; (6) magnetic flux compression with Nernst thermoelectric losses; (7) magnetized electron and ion thermal conduction losses; (8) end losses; (9) enhanced losses due to prescribed dopant concentrations and contaminant mix; (10) deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium primary fusion reactions for arbitrary deuterium to tritium fuel ratios; and (11) magnetized α-particle fuel heating. We show that this simplified model, with its transparent and accessible physics, can be used to reproduce the general 1D behavior presented throughout the original MagLIF paper [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. We also discuss some important physics insights gained as a result of developing this model, such as the dependence of radiative loss rates on the radial fraction of the fuel that is preheated.

The standard approaches to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) rely on implosion velocities greater than 300 km/s and spherical convergence to achieve the high fuel temperatures (T > 4 keV) and areal densities (ρr > 0.3 g/cm2) required for ignition1. Such high velocities are achieved by heating the outside surface of a spherical capsuleeither directly with a large number of laser beams (Direct Drive) or with x-rays generated within a hohlraum (Indirect Drive). A much more energetically efficient approach is to use the magnetic pressure generated by a pulsed power machine to directly drive an implosion. In this approach 5-10% of the stored energy can be converted to the implosion of a metal tube generally referred to as a “liner”. However, the implosion velocity is not very high 70-100 km/s and the convergence is cylindrical (rather than spherical) making it more difficult to achieve the high temperatures and areal densities needed for ignition.

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Presented are voltage measurements taken near the load region on the Z pulsed-power accelerator using an inductive voltage monitor (IVM). Specifically, the IVM was connected to, and thus monitored the voltage at, the bottom level of the accelerator's vacuum double post-hole convolute. Additional voltage and current measurements were taken at the accelerator's vacuum-insulator stack (at a radius of 1.6 m) by using standard D-dot and B-dot probes, respectively. During postprocessing, the measurements taken at the stack were translated to the location of the IVM measurements by using a lossless propagation model of the Z accelerator's magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) and a lumped inductor model of the vacuum post-hole convolute. Across a wide variety of experiments conducted on the Z accelerator, the voltage histories obtained from the IVM and the lossless propagation technique agree well in overall shape and magnitude. However, large-amplitude, high-frequency oscillations are more pronounced in the IVM records. It is unclear whether these larger oscillations represent true voltage oscillations at the convolute or if they are due to noise pickup and/or transit-time effects and other resonant modes in the IVM. Results using a transit-time-correction technique and Fourier analysis support the latter. Regardless of which interpretation is correct, both true voltage oscillations and the excitement of resonant modes could be the result of transient electrical breakdowns in the post-hole convolute, though more information is required to determine definitively if such breakdowns occurred. Despite the larger oscillations in the IVM records, the general agreement found between the lossless propagation results and the results of the IVM shows that large voltages are transmitted efficiently through the MITLs on Z. These results are complementary to previous studies [R.D. McBride et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 13, 120401 (2010)] that showed efficient transmission of large currents through the MITLs on Z. Taken together, the two studies demonstrate the overall efficient delivery of very large electrical powers through the MITLs on Z.

Sandia has successfully integrated the capability to apply uniform, high magnetic fields (10-30 T) to high energy density experiments on the Z facility. This system uses an 8-mF, 15-kV capacitor bank to drive large-bore (5 cm diameter), high-inductance (1-3 mH) multi-turn, multi-layer electromagnets that slowly magnetize the conductive targets used on Z over several milliseconds (time to peak field of 2-7 ms). This system was commissioned in February 2013 and has been used successfully to magnetize more than 30 experiments up to 10 T that have produced exciting and surprising physics results. These experiments used split-magnet topologies to maintain diagnostic lines of sight to the target. We describe the design, integration, and operation of the pulsed coil system into the challenging and harsh environment of the Z Machine. We also describe our plans and designs for achieving fields up to 20 T with a reduced-gap split-magnet configuration, and up to 30 T with a solid magnet configuration in pursuit of the Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion concept.

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This Letter presents results from the first fully integrated experiments testing the magnetized liner inertial fusion concept [S.A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)], in which a cylinder of deuterium gas with a preimposed axial magnetic field of 10 T is heated by Z beamlet, a 2.5 kJ, 1 TW laser, and magnetically imploded by a 19 MA current with 100 ns rise time on the Z facility. Despite a predicted peak implosion velocity of only 70 km/s, the fuel reaches a stagnation temperature of approximately 3 keV, with T_e ≈ T_i, and produces up to 2e12 thermonuclear DD neutrons. In this study, X-ray emission indicates a hot fuel region with full width at half maximum ranging from 60 to 120 μm over a 6 mm height and lasting approximately 2 ns. The number of secondary deuterium-tritium neutrons observed was greater than 10¹⁰, indicating significant fuel magnetization given that the estimated radial areal density of the plasma is only 2 mg/cm².

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Novel experimental data are reported that reveal helical instability formation on imploding z -pinch liners that are premagnetized with an axial field. Such instabilities differ dramatically from the mostly azimuthally symmetric instabilities that form on unmagnetized liners. The helical structure persists at nearly constant pitch as the liner implodes. This is surprising since, at the liner surface, the azimuthal drive field presumably dwarfs the axial field for all but the earliest stages of the experiment. These fundamentally 3D results provide a unique and challenging test for 3D-magnetohydrodynamics simulations.

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MHD models of imploding loads fielded on the Z accelerator are typically driven by reduced or simplified circuit representations of the generator. The performance of many of the imploding loads is critically dependent on the current and power delivered to them, so may be strongly influenced by the generators response to their implosion. Current losses diagnosed in the transmission lines approaching the load are further known to limit the energy delivery, while exhibiting some load dependence. Through comparing the convolute performance of a wide variety of short pulse Z loads we parameterize a convolute loss resistance applicable between different experiments. We incorporate this, and other current loss terms into a transmission line representation of the Z vacuum section. We then apply this model to study the current delivery to a wide variety of wire array and MagLif style liner loads.

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We describe a technique for measuring the pressure and density of a metallic solid, shocklessly compressed to multi-megabar pressure, through x-ray radiography of a magnetically driven, cylindrical liner implosion. Shockless compression of the liner produces material states that correspond approximately to the principal compression isentrope (quasi-isentrope). This technique is used to determine the principal quasi-isentrope of solid beryllium to a peak pressure of 2.4 Mbar from x-ray images of a high current (20 MA), fast (∼100 ns) liner implosion. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Current pulse shaping techniques, originally developed for planar dynamic material experiments on the Z-machine [M. K. Matzen, Phys. Plasmas 12, 055503 (2005)], are adapted to the design of controlled cylindrical liner implosions. By driving these targets with a current pulse shape that prevents shock formation inside the liner, shock heating is avoided along with the corresponding decrease in electrical conductivity ahead of the magnetic diffusion wave penetrating the liner. This results in an imploding liner with a significant amount of its mass in the solid phase and at multi-megabar pressures. Pressures in the solid region of a shaped pulse driven beryllium liner fielded on the Z-machine are inferred to 5.5 Mbar, while simulations suggest implosion velocities greater than 50 kms-1. These solid liner experiments are diagnosed with multi-frame monochromatic x-ray backlighting which is used to infer the material density and pressure. This work has led to a new platform on the Z-machine that can be used to perform off-Hugoniot measurements at higher pressures than are accessible through magnetically driven planar geometries. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

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A newly invented, multi-megampere inverse diode converts the currents in many electron beams to current in a single Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line (MITL) for driving a common load. Electrons are injected through a transparent anode, cross a vacuum gap, and are absorbed in the cathode of the inverse diode. The cathode current returns to the anode through a load and generates electric and magnetic fields in the anode-cathode gap. Counter streaming electron flow is prevented by self-magnetic insulation in most of the inverse diode and by self-electrostatic insulation where the magnetic field is insufficient. Two-dimensional simulations with a 40 MA, 4 MeV, 40 ns electron beam at 3.5 kA/cm 2 current density, 5 degree beam divergence, and up to 60 degree injection angle show 85% of the injected electron beam current is captured and fed into the MITL. Exploratory experiments with a 2.5 MA, 2.8 MeV, 40 ns electron beam at 2 kA/cm 2at injection normal to the anode gave 70+/-10% collection efficiency in an unoptimized inverse diode. The inverse diode appears to have the potential of coupling multiple pulsed power modules into a common load at rates of change of current ∼1.6× 10 15 A/s required for a fusion energy device called the Plasma Power Station with a Quasi Spherical Direct Drive fusion target. © 2011 IEEE.

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Magnetic Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) [S. A. Slutz, et al., Phys. Plasmas 17 056303 (2010)] is a promising new concept for achieving >100 kJ of fusion yield on Z. The greatest threat to this concept is the Magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability. Thus an experimental campaign has been initiated to study MRT growth in fast-imploding (<100 ns) cylindrical liners. The first sets of experiments studied aluminum liner implosions with prescribed sinusoidal perturbations (see talk by D. Sinars). By contrast, this poster presents results from the latest sets of experiments that used unperturbed beryllium (Be) liners. The purpose for using Be is that we are able to radiograph 'through' the liner using the 6-keV photons produced by the Z-Beamlet backlighting system. This has enabled us to obtain time-resolved measurements of the imploding liner's density as a function of both axial and radial location throughout the field of view. This data is allowing us to evaluate the integrity of the inside (fuel-confining) surface of the imploding liner as it approaches stagnation.

Numerical simulations [S.A. Slutz et al Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] indicate that fuel magnetization and preheat could enable cylindrical liner implosions to become an efficient means to generate fusion conditions. A series of simulations has been performed to study the stability of magnetically driven liner implosions. These simulations exhibit the initial growth and saturation of an electro-thermal instability. The Rayleigh-Taylor instability further amplifies the resultant density perturbations developing a spectrum of modes initially peaked at short wavelengths. With time the spectrum of modes evolves towards longer wavelengths developing an inverse cascade. The effects of mode coupling, the radial dependence of the magnetic pressure, and the initial surface roughness will be discussed.

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This final report for Project 117863 summarizes progress made toward understanding how X-pinch load designs scale to high currents. The X-pinch load geometry was conceived in 1982 as a method to study the formation and properties of bright x-ray spots in z-pinch plasmas. X-pinch plasmas driven by 0.2 MA currents were found to have source sizes of 1 micron, temperatures >1 keV, lifetimes of 10-100 ps, and densities >0.1 times solid density. These conditions are believed to result from the direct magnetic compression of matter. Physical models that capture the behavior of 0.2 MA X pinches predict more extreme parameters at currents >1 MA. This project developed load designs for up to 6 MA on the SATURN facility and attempted to measure the resulting plasma parameters. Source sizes of 5-8 microns were observed in some cases along with evidence for high temperatures (several keV) and short time durations (<500 ps).

The magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability is the most important instability for determining whether a cylindrical liner can be compressed to its axis in a relatively intact form, a requirement for achieving the high pressures needed for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and other high energy-density physics applications. While there are many published RT studies, there are a handful of well-characterized MRT experiments at time scales >1 {micro}s and none for 100 ns z-pinch implosions. Experiments used solid Al liners with outer radii of 3.16 mm and thicknesses of 292 {micro}m, dimensions similar to magnetically-driven ICF target designs [1]. In most tests the MRT instability was seeded with sinusoidal perturbations ({lambda} = 200, 400 {micro}m, peak-to-valley amplitudes of 10, 20 {micro}m, respectively), wavelengths similar to those predicted to dominate near stagnation. Radiographs show the evolution of the MRT instability and the effects of current-induced ablation of mass from the liner surface. Additional Al liner tests used 25-200 {micro}m wavelengths and flat surfaces. Codes being used to design magnetized liner ICF loads [1] match the features seen except at the smallest scales (<50 {micro}m). Recent experiments used Be liners to enable penetrating radiography using the same 6.151 keV diagnostics and provide an in-flight measurement of the liner density profile.

Radial wire arrays provide an alternative x-ray source for Z-pinch driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. These arrays, where wires are positioned radially outwards from a central cathode to a concentric anode, have the potential to drive a more compact ICF hohlraum. A number of experiments were performed on the 7MA Saturn Generator. These experiments studied a number of potential risks in scaling radial wire arrays up from the 1MA level, where they have been shown to provide similar x-ray outputs to larger diameter cylindrical arrays, to the higher current levels required for ICF. Data indicates that at 7MA radial arrays can obtain higher power densities than cylindrical wire arrays, so may be of use for x-ray driven ICF on future facilities. Even at the 7MA level, data using Saturn's short pulse mode indicates that a radial array should be able to drive a compact hohlraum to temperatures {approx}92eV, which may be of interest for opacity experiments. These arrays are also shown to have applications to jet production for laboratory astrophysics. MHD simulations require additional physics to match the observed behavior.

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Abstract not provided.