Recent progress and plans in plasma opening switch development for DSWA simulators

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. DSWA is presently supporting plasma opening switch (POS) development focused on improvement of single DECADE module performance and the development of a monolithic POS for the DECADE Quad. The goal for the single module POS is to conduct 1.8 MA in 300 ns and to efficiently drive a nominal 1 Ohm bremsstrahlung diode load with minimal current losses in the POS. Presently, the single module POS conducts 1.4 MA in /spl sim/265 ns, with only 60% of the current into the POS producing radiation. A DECADE Quad POS will be required to conduct the combined current from four modules, approximately 10 MA in 300 ns, and to drive a nominal 0.2 Ohm bremsstrahlung diode load. The ACE 4 POS configuration which conducts 3.5 MA in /spl sim/900 ns, with the POS opening to about 0.3 Ohms into a high inductance load, is being developed for the DECADE Quad. This paper will report on both the overall technical approaches and the current work to improve the present single DECADE module POS and to extend the present ACE 4 POS technology to the DECADE Quad. An alternate POS concept applicable to the DECADE program, the inverse pinch source POS tested on HAWK, will be introduced. The DSWA R&D program emphasizes well diagnosed experiments, tightly coupled to theoretical modeling.