Pulsed Power Experiments Aimed at Inertial Confinement Fusion

Abstract

Summary form only given. At the Kurchatov Institute, the series of ICF experiments is carried out on the S-300 pulsed power generator. In this talk, the experimental results are presented related to the study of operation of co-axial magnetically self-insulated transporting line (MITL), by the linear current flow density on the inner electrode surface up to iap 7 MA/cm (j > 500 MA/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> ). The specific parameters of this current-carrying line fairly correspond to those of the Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL) conceptual project of Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) reactor based on the fast Z-pinch. The detailed study of the MITL reconnection has been developed, as well as the physics of inter-gap plasmas. With respect to the whole project, we have found the idea of Recyclable Transmission Lines being adequate to the IFE reactor requirements. A series of experiments has been carried out devoted to the study multi-wire X-pinches, at the current level up to 2.4 MA. The hard X-ray radiation of the X-pinch in the range up to 800 eV has been first recorded and studied. In the range of soft X-ray radiation, the extreme radiation brightness ~10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">16</sup> W/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> sr has been achieved by the hot spot dimension not exceeding 40 mum. An effect has been revealed of bright radiating spots fast appearing in the inter-electrode gap. Analysis of the data obtained allows concluding that the standard scaling has been confirmed. Within the frames of the Baikal program, a new superpower generator should be created aimed at the ICF experiments. It will use the multi- module multi-megaampere plasma opening switch (POS) with microsecond conduction times as the main stage of the output pulse conditioning. We have carried out a series of experiments on the RS-20 pulsed power machine. To achieve acceptable synchronization of multiple POS modules operating in parallel, a common switch placed between the POS modules and their common load is proposed. The POS operates in the external applied magnetic field. This scheme utilizes a fraction of the generator energy during the conduction phase to ensure plasma erosion in all POS modules so that the magnetically insulated vacuum gap is formed at the switching phase.