Final Implosion Research Articles

Comparing compact object distributions from mass- and presupernova core structure-based prescriptions

ABSTRACT Binary population synthesis (BPS) employs prescriptions to predict final fates, explosion or implosion, and remnant masses based on one or two stellar parameters at the evolutionary cutoff imposed by the code, usually at or near central carbon ignition. In doing this, BPS disregards the integral role late-stage evolution plays in determining the final fate, remnant type, and remnant mass within the neutrino-driven explosion paradigm. To highlight differences between a popular prescription, which relies only on the core and final stellar mass and emerging methods, which rely on a star’s presupernova core structure, we generate a series of compact object distributions using three different methods for a sample population of single and binary stars computed in BPASS. The first method estimates remnant mass based on a star’s carbon–oxygen (CO) core mass and final total mass. The second method uses the presupernova core structure based on recent bare CO-core models combined with a parameterized explosion criterion to first determine final fate and remnant type, then remnant mass. The third method associates presupernova helium-core masses with remnant masses determined from public explosion models which rely implicitly on core structure. We find that the core-/final mass-based prescription favours lower mass remnants, including a large population of mass gap black holes, and predicts neutron star masses which span a wide range, whereas the structure-based prescriptions favour slightly higher mass remnants, mass gap black holes only as low as 3.5 M⊙, and predict NS mass distributions which cluster in a narrow range.

Effect of tailored density profiles on the stability of imploding Z-pinches at microsecond rise time megaampere currents

To study the effect of the radial density profile of the material of a metal-plasma Z-pinch load on the development of magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor (MRT) instabilities, experiments have been performed at the Institute of High Current Electronics with the GIT-12 generator which produces microsecond rise time megaampere currents. The Z-pinch load was an aluminum plasma jet (PJ) with an outer plasma shell. This configuration leads to the formation of a uniform current sheath in a Z-pinch load upon application of a high-voltage pulse. It was successfully used in experiments with hybrid deuterium gas-puffs (Klir et al 2020 New J. Phys. 22 103036). The initial density profiles of the Z-pinch loads were estimated from the pinch current and voltage waveforms using the zero-dimensional ‘snowplow’ model, and they were verified by simulating the expansion of the PJ formed by a vacuum arc using a two-dimensional quasi-neutral hybrid model (Shmelev et al 2020 Phys. Plasmas 27 092708). Two Z-pinch load configurations were used in the experiments. The first configuration provided tailored load density profiles, which could be described as ρ(r) ≈ 1/r^s for s > 2. In this case, MRT instabilities were suppressed and thus a K-shell radiation yield of 11 kJ cm−1 and a peak power of 0.67 TW cm−1 could be attained at a current of about 3 MA. For the second configuration, the radial density profiles were intentionally changed using a reflector. This led to the appearance of a notch in the density profiles at radii of 1–3 cm from the pinch axis and to magnetohydrodynamic instabilities at the final implosion stage. As a result, the K-shell radiation yield more than halved and the power decreased to 0.15 TW cm−1 at a current of about 3.5 MA.

Time-resolved investigation of subnanosecond radiation from Al wire hybrid X pinches.

K-shell x-ray spectra from Al wire hybrid X pinches have been studied using an x-ray streak camera with better than 0.1-ns time resolution together with a Focusing Spectrograph with Spatial Resolution (FSSR) spectrograph. High-intensity radiation with a continuumlike spectrum was observed in the subnanosecond initial phase of the x-ray pulse generated by the hybrid X pinch (HXP). The absence of spectral lines in this phase and the extremely small x-ray source size indicates the importance of radiative processes in the final phase implosion dynamics. Plasma parameters in the following phases of the HXP were determined from analysis of the line intensities. Point-projection radiography together with a slit-step wedge camera and an FSSR spectrograph without time resolution were used to show the number of radiation sources, and to give information on the time-integrated photon energy spectrum.

Coriolis force-assisted inertial confinement fusion

AbstractA fundamental problem for the realization of laser fusion through the implosion of a spherical target is Kidder's E−1/6 law, where E is the energy needed for ignition, proportional to the 6th power of the ratio R/R0, where R0 and R are the initial and final implosion radii, respectively. This law implies that the ignition energy is very sensitive to the ratio R0/R, or vice versa, the ratio R0/R is very insensitive to the energy input, with R0/R limited by the Rayleigh–Taylor instability. According to still classified data of the Centurion–Halite experiment at the Nevada Test Site, ignition would require an energy of ${\rm E}\simeq 50\,{\rm MJ}$, 25 times larger than the 2 MJ laser at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) reported in the New York Times. This means that even a tenfold increase from 2 to 20 MJ would only decrease the R/R0 ratio by an insignificant factor of 10−1/6 ≃ 0.7. To overcome this problem, it is proposed that the spherical target is replaced with a hollowed-out, rapidly rotating, cm-size ferromagnetic target, accelerated by a rotating traveling magnetic wave to a rotational velocity of ~1 km/s, at the limit of its tensile strength. In a rotating reference system, the general theory of relativity predicts the occurrence of negative gravitational field masses in the center of rotation, with their source located in the Coriolis force field. The density of this negative gravitational field mass can be larger than the magnitude of the positive mass density of a neutron star. The repulsive gravitational force causes the centrifugal force. For a magnetized plasma placed in the rapidly spinning, hollowed-out target chamber, this repulsive force can be balanced by the magnetic force generated by thermomagnetic currents of the Nernst effect. Such a configuration does not suffer from the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, but becomes a small magnetohydrodynamic generator, amplifying the magnetic field to values about equal to those of the Nernst effect, axially confining the plasma. By placing the spinning target in the center of a lithium vortex, the fusion neutrons absorbed in the vortex can breed tritium, and at the same time remove heat from the target chamber to sustain the Nernst effect. A hot spot is thereby produced in the target chamber, which launches a thermonuclear burn wave into a cylindrical deuterium–tritium configuration. With the stability of a rapidly rotating target greatly increased, and the range of 10 MeV electrons in the wall of the cm-size ferromagnetic target, an intense 10 MeV relativistic electron beam drawn from a 10 MJ Marx generator should be sufficient to implode the target for thermonuclear ignition.

In-flight observations of low-mode ρR asymmetries in NIF implosions

Charged-particle spectroscopy is used to assess implosion symmetry in ignition-scale indirect-drive implosions for the first time. Surrogate D3He gas-filled implosions at the National Ignition Facility produce energetic protons via D+3He fusion that are used to measure the implosion areal density (ρR) at the shock-bang time. By using protons produced several hundred ps before the main compression bang, the implosion is diagnosed in-flight at a convergence ratio of 3–5 just prior to peak velocity. This isolates acceleration-phase asymmetry growth. For many surrogate implosions, proton spectrometers placed at the north pole and equator reveal significant asymmetries with amplitudes routinely ≳10%, which are interpreted as ℓ=2 Legendre modes. With significant expected growth by stagnation, it is likely that these asymmetries would degrade the final implosion performance. X-ray self-emission images at stagnation show asymmetries that are positively correlated with the observed in-flight asymmetries and comparable in magnitude, contradicting growth models; this suggests that the hot-spot shape does not reflect the stagnated shell shape or that significant residual kinetic energy exists at stagnation. More prolate implosions are observed when the laser drive is sustained (“no-coast”), implying a significant time-dependent asymmetry in peak drive.

Basic characteristics of kinetic energy transfer in the dynamic hohlraums of Z-pinch

The applications of Z-pinch are realized through dynamic hohlraum driven by Z-pinch, in which a uniform and symmetrical radiation field may be produced for ablating implosion of the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule, and the radiation sources may also be created for heating and backlighting the samples in opacity measurement experiments. The radiation field is essentially related to driven current, hohlraum configuration and material. In physics it is determined by energy transfer in the hohlraum. For rapidly obtaining the knowledge about the primary energy transfer chracteristics in the hohlraum, and its trends of variation in the configuration, linear mass of the load, and the driven current, the simplified model is used to simulate the dynamic hohlraum implosion. The obtained implosion kinetic energy of the cylindrical foam accords well with the kinetic energy obtained from a one-dimensional magneto radiation hydrodynamics simulation of Z-pinch-driven dynamic hohlraum. In the dynamic hohlraum for ICF the kinetic energy loss is important for the radiation field formation when the imploding wire-array plasma collides with the cylindrical foam, while ones for radiation source the kinetic energy loss and for the final implosion kinetic energy of the foam are both important. The maximum implosion kinetic energy of cylindrical foam is directly proportional to the square of the peak current, while the kinetic energy loss increases with the mass of cylindrical foam increasing. The mass energy density in the foam tends to increase, and in turn the radiation power is enhanced when the rise time of the current turns longer.

Effects of local defect growth in direct-drive cryogenic implosions on OMEGA

Spherically symmetric, low-adiabat (adiabat α ≲ 3) cryogenic direct-drive-implosion experiments on the OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1995)] yield less than 10% of the neutrons predicted in one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations suggest that this performance degradation can be explained assuming perturbations from isolated defects of submicron to tens-of-micron scale on the outer surface or inside the shell of implosion targets. These defects develop during the cryogenic filling process and typically number from several tens up to hundreds for each target covering from about 0.2% to 1% of its surface. The simulations predict that such defects can significantly perturb the implosion and result in the injection of about 1 to 2 μg of the hot ablator (carbon-deuterium) and fuel (deuterium-tritium) materials from the ablation surface into the targets. Both the hot mass injection and perturbations of the shell reduce the final shell convergence ratio and implosion performance. The injected carbon ions radiatively cool the hot spot, reducing the fuel temperature, and further reducing the neutron yield. The negative effect of local defects can be minimized by decreasing the number and size of these defects and/or using more hydrodynamically stable implosion designs with higher shell adiabat.

Characteristics of implosion and radiation for aluminum planar wire array z-pinch at 1.5 MA

Planar wire arrays Z pinches were carried out on Qiangguang generator (1.5 MA, 100 ns). Loads with varied row widths (6–24 mm) and wire numbers (10–34) were employed in the experiments. The implosion dynamics of planar wire arrays has been studied. Meanwhile, the changes of the implosion time, radiation yield and power with array mass, inter-wire gap, and array width were investigated. The images of a soft X-ray camera exhibit that the trailing mass, precursor column, and R-T instability exist during the implosion phase, and when m = 0 maybe accompanied with m = 1, instability will rapidly develop after stagnation. The implosion trajectories show that loads will implode by the snowplow mode and about 50% of total initial array mass will participate in the final implosion. The maximum total X-ray energy is 22 kJ with a power of 630 GW, while the maximum K-shell yield is 3.9 kJ with a power of 158 GW. Experiments with different planar wire arrays show that the value of mPD02 (the product of line mass and squared width) is the critical factor which affects the implosion time and the X-ray products of the wire arrays. The optimum value of mPD02 should be in the range of 200–400 μgcm and the inter-wire gap should be less than 1 mm.

Study on K-shell X-ray production of double-shellneon gas puff Z-pinch

The main results of investigation on K-shell X-ray production of double-shell neon gas puff Z-pinch, driven by Qiangguang-I facility (1.6 MA, 70 ns), are reported. The exit radii of the outer and inner shells are 1.5—1.4 cm and 0.75—0.6 cm, respectively. Both shells have a throat width of 0.32 mm, while the ratio of the throat radii is 2.8 ∶1, to which the mass ratio would be approximately equal for identical plenum pressures. K-shell yield and peak power up to 7 kJ and 0.28 TW, respectively, for a 20 ns full width at half maximum pulse have been obtained with about 120 ns implosions, the load mass per unit length of which are estimated to be 60—70 μg/cm. Time-resolved X-ray images show that RT instability during the implosion stage has been well suppressed, resulting in a final pinch diameter compressed to less than 2.5 mm. The final implosion velocity exceeds 25 cm/μs. K-shell yields and peak powers are largely reduced with longer implosion time. For shots with lower mass, i.e. 28—63 μg/cm, the electron temperature inferred from time-gated K-shell spectra should be greater than 500 eV, implying an overheated plasma column being formed in the stagnation stage. While for shots with load mass of 72—80 μg/cm, time resolved electron temperatures are in the range of 300—400 eV. The inferred ion densities of the K-shell emitting region are in the range of (3—9)×1019 cm-3, which have been used to calculate the mass fractions that contribute to K-shell radiation. Those shots with near 7 kJ yields also have maximum K-shell emitting load mass (about 46 μg/cm).

Numerical studies of the effects of precursor plasma on the performance of wire-array Z-pinches

This paper is to numerically investigate, in one dimension, the effects of precursor plasma resulted from wire-array ablation on the performance of its following implosion after the ablation. The wire-array ablation is described by an analytic model, which consists of a rocket model or Sasorov’s expression of wire-array mass ablation rate, the evolution equation of magnetic field, and several roughly reasonable assumptions. The following implosion is governed by the radiation magnetohydrodynamics. The implosion processes of wire-array Z-pinch from plasma shells prefilled and un-prefilled by the low-density plasma inside them are studied, and that from the wire-array ablations, which may be changed through varying the ablation time, ablation rate, and ablation velocity Vabl, are also simulated. The obtained results reveal that the prefilled low-density plasma and the precursor plasma from the wire-array ablation help to enhance the plasma shell pinch and the final implosion of the wire array, respectively, compared to the pinch of un-prefilled plasma shell. With the same plasma masses, which are distributed in the interior of the array and the shell, and modified Spitzer resistivity, the implosions that start from the wire ablation develop faster than that from the plasma shell with the prefill. If more substance ablates from the wire array before the start of its implosion, the final Z-pinch performance could be better. The Z-pinch plasma is highly magnetized with driven current more than 3 MA.

X-ray generation mechanisms in three-dimensional simulations of wire array Z-pinches

Resistive magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations are used to evaluate the influence of three-dimensional inhomogeneities on x-ray power production in wire array Z-pinches. In particular, we concentrate on simulations of wire array Z-pinch experiments on the MAGPIE generator at Imperial College. An initial temperature perturbation is used to stimulate variations in wire core ablation rates that result in a highly non-uniform final implosion. Results indicate that x-ray power production is governed by the symmetry of the implosion surface and by the rate at which current can transfer to the axis through a three-dimensional debris field that trails behind the main implosion. The peak power is ultimately limited by the growth of MHD instabilities in the stagnated pinch. The individual contributions of the implosion kinetic energy, compression of the stagnated pinch, ohmic heating and MHD instabilities to the radiation yield are quantified. The onset of m = 1 instabilities is found to provide an efficient mechanism for dissipation of the magnetic energy surrounding the stagnated pinch. The formation of a helical plasma column not only allows the magnetic field to do work in driving an expansion of the helix but also enhances the ohmic heating by elongating the path of the current through the pinch. The effect of these energy sources combined is to increase the radiation yield to typically 3½ times the kinetic energy of the implosion. Simulations of arrays with different wire numbers, wire material and with nested arrays are used to examine the mechanisms that influence the peak soft x-ray power. In the simulations, peak power can be increased by: increasing the number of wires (which improves the implosion symmetry), by increasing the atomic number of the material (which increases the compressibility of the plasma) and by using a nested inner array (which brings the mass and the current to the axis more efficiently than a single array).

Design of a multilayer mirror monochromatic x-ray imager for the Z accelerator

A time-resolved pinhole camera is being developed for monochromatic soft x-ray imaging of z-pinch plasmas on the Z accelerator [R. B. Spielman et al., Phys. Plasmas 5, 2105 (1998)] at Sandia National Laboratories. Pinhole images will reflect from a planar multilayer mirror onto a microchannel plate detector. A W/Si or Cr/C multilayer reflects a narrow energy range (full width at half maximum <10 eV) centered at 277 eV with peak reflectivity up to 20%. This choice of energy will allow final implosion imaging of any wire-array z-pinch fielded on Z, as well as bench testing using a carbon Kα source. Aluminized parylene filters will eliminate optical and second harmonic reflection, and the 34° multilayer grazing angle will allow detector shielding from high energy x rays produced by the Z accelerator. The system will also include a standard in-line pinhole camera, which can be filtered to obtain simultaneous higher-photon-energy images. Future instruments could use multiple mirrors to image at several energies, or operate at a low grazing angle to image 1–10 keV K-shell emission.

Interferometric measurements of the plasma density at the Z-pinch periphery in the angara-5-1 facility

In the physics of the wire array implosion the amount of the substance left on the periphery of the initial wire array at the moment of final liner implosion is an essential factor. Estimates show that plasma with a small mass fraction (a few percent of the initial wire array mass) may shunt an appreciable current fraction which can result in changing output characteristics of implosion. The given paper reports the investigation into the plasma density distribution on the periphery of the initial wire array near the moment of final implosion.

Generation of 600 T by electromagnetic flux compression with improved implosion symmetry

We have developed a device for generating ultrahigh magnetic fields by means of electromagnetic flux compression. The device that we call “feed gap compensator” is a flux concentrator that consists of a thick-walled copper cylinder with a number of thin radial slits. This is inserted between the primary coil and the liner; it has resulted in a substantial improvement of the implosion symmetry that is normally disturbed by the feed gap of the primary coil. A maximum field exceeding 600 T can be generated reproducibly by using this device. Because of the improved symmetry of the liner motion, we observed turnaround phenomena not only in the wave form of the magnetic field but also in the photographs of the liner that are taken by a high-speed image converter camera. The final implosion speed and the turnaround radius have been determined by calculating the magnetic flux from a combination of framing camera data and the measured field. It is confirmed that the turnaround field is a function of the implosion speed; this function is given by the particle speed of the shock wave associated with the pressure pulse induced by the magnetic field. Further optimization of the flux compression system is discussed with a view to obtaining higher fields that are suitable for application in experiments.

Two- and three-dimensional modeling of the different phases of wire-array z-pinch evolution

A series of specialized multidimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models have been developed to tackle the different phases of evolution of wire array z-pinch implosions. Two-dimensional (r–z) “cold-start” or “wire initiation” simulations of single wires indicate the persistence of a two-component structure with a cold, dense core embedded within a much hotter, low density, m = 0 unstable corona. Cold-start simulations with similar conditions to wires in an array show a general trend in the plasma structure from discrete wires with large m = 0 perturbation amplitudes to partially merged wires with smaller perturbation amplitudes as the number of wires is increased. Two-dimensional (r–θ) simulations then show how the persistence of dense wire cores results in the injection of material between the wires into the interior of the array, generating radial plasma streams which form a precursor plasma upon reaching the axis. Higher-resolution 2-D (r–θ) simulations show similar behavior for large number wire arrays in use at Sandia National Laboratories. This model is also used to predict which modes of implosion are in operation in nested wire array experiments. Separate r–θ plane simulations of the flux of plasma imploding towards the axis from the outer array and the bombardment of the inner array by this flux are presented. Finally, 2-D (r–z) simulations of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability during the final implosion phase are used to illustrate the effect upon the power and duration of the radiation output pulse. The results of low-resolution 3-D resistive MHD simulations are also presented. The need for much higher resolution 3-D simulations of certain aspects of wire array evolution is highlighted.

Measurements of gas preionization for plasma radiation sources

Azimuthally symmetric ultraviolet (UV) preionization of the outer periphery of a gas puff z pinch, prior to current initiation, may reduce the growth of magnetically driven Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities or other nonuniformities affecting the final implosion stage of the pinch, leading to an improvement in K-shell x-ray yield. We report on measurements of a flashover UV photoionization scheme, capable of ionizing the periphery of argon gas puffs to 1%–10% of the initial gas density. Measurements are made with a two-color, (1064 and 532 nm), high sensitivity (∼10−5λ), Mach–Zehnder type interferometer. Two methods of measuring preionization are investigated. The first uses a single laser wavelength, 1064 nm, to probe a chord of the cylindrical gas puff. The gas density is measured first without preionization and then with the UV flashover discharge. The difference in phase shift determines the free electron density. The second technique uses both wavelengths to simultaneously probe the same line of sight, determining neutral and free electron densities using only one gas puff event. Gas preionization may introduce refractive species that complicate the conversion of phase shift to density. However, single-color interferometry with the IR and green beams indicates that it is sufficient to consider only two species, neural argon and free electrons for times of interest.

Cavitation in the rotational structures of a turbulent wake

Experiments show that cavitation, if moderately developed, makes three kinds of vortical coherent structures visible inside the turbulent wake of a two-dimensional obstacle: Bénard–Kármán vortices, streamwise three-dimensional vortices and finally the vortices which appear on the borders of the very near wake. The latter, which are called here near-wake vortices, result by successive pairing in the first ones and there is some indication that they are also the origin of streamwise vortices. Cavitation is not a passive agent of visualization, as can be established on the basis of fundamental arguments, and it reacts with the flow as soon as it appears; when it is developed, it breaks the connection between the elongation rate and the vorticity rate of the vortex filaments. Then the subsequent evolution of a cavitating vortex and its final implosion are rather complicated. Despite its active character, cavitation in rotational structures, if properly interpreted, can give information of interest on the basic non-cavitating turbulent flow. By adapting a simple model due to Kermeen & Parkin (1957) and Arndt (1976), and counting near-wake vortices, it is possible to accurately predict the conditions of cavitation inception: consideration of coherent rotational structures is probably the best approach to explain, in an almost deterministic way, the large difference between the absolute value of the mean pressure coefficient at the obstacle base and the incipient cavitation number.

Electromagnetic implosion of spherical liner.

We have magnetically driven a tapered-thickness spherical aluminum shell implosion with a 12.5 MA axial discharge. The initially 4 cm radius, 0.1 to 0.2 cm thick, \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} latitude shell was imploded along conical electrodes. The implosion time was approximately 15 \ensuremath{\mu}sec. Radiography indicated substantial agreement with 2D-MHD calculations. Such calculations for this experiment predict final inner-surface implosion velocity of 2.5 to 3 cm/\ensuremath{\mu}sec, peak pressure of 56 Mbar, and peak density of 16.8 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ (>6 times solid density). The principal experimental result is a demonstration of the feasibility of electromagnetic-driven spherical liner implosions in the cm/\ensuremath{\mu}sec regime.

Electromagnetic-implosion generation of pulsed high-energy-density plasma

The generation of pulsed high-energy-density plasmas by electromagnetic implosion of cylindrical foils (i.e., imploding liners or hollow Z pinches) has been investigated experimentally and theoretically at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory. The experimental studies involve discharging a 1.3-μsec 1.1-MJ capacitor bank through 7-cm-radius 2-cm-tall 3–30-mg cylindrical foil liners. Typical discharge parameters are 7–12-MA peak current and 1–1.5-μsec current rise time. Current and voltage waveforms indicate strong coupling of the load to the capacitor bank, and analysis of the waveforms indicates good implosion of the current sheath. Optical- and magnetic-probe measurements are consistent with 1–2-cm thickness of the imploding plasma shell and with final implosion velocities ∼15–20 cm/sec. Radiation-diagnostic measurements indicate ultrasoft x-ray yields ∼50–100 kJ with the FWHM of the photon pulse ∼80–100 nsec. The radiation data is consistent with a quasiblackbody spectrum (T∼30–50 eV) comprising most of the energy, with additional higher temperature and optically thin spectral components. Al11+ and Al12+ line and recombination radiation is frequently observed. Comparison of electrical, magnetic, and radiation data with one-dimensional MHD and two-dimensional MHD calculations is presented. The prospects for improving the performance with the present energy source and scaling to larger energy sources are briefly discussed.