Shiva Star Research Articles

Field Reversed Configuration Translation and the Magnetized Target Fusion Collaboration

After considerable design and construction, we describe the status of a physics exploration of magnetized target fusion (MTF) that will be carried out with the first flux conserving compression of a high pressure field-reversed configuration (FRC). The upgraded Los Alamos (LANL) high density FRC experiment FRXL has demonstrated that an appropriate FRC plasma target can be created and translated on a time scale fast enough to be useful for MTF. Compression to kilovolt temperature is expected to form a Mbar pressure, high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP). Integrated hardware on the new Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment (FRCHX) at the Air Force Research Laboratory Shiva Star facility, has formed initial FRC’s and will radially compress them within a cylindrically symmetric aluminum “liner”. FRXL has shown that time scales for FRC translation to the target region are significantly shorter than the typical FRC lifetime. The hardware, diagnostics, and design rationales are presented. Pre-compression plasma formation and trapping experimental data from FRXL and FRCHX are shown.

Radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulation of plasma formed on a surface by a megagauss field

Radiation magnetohydrodynamic modeling is used to study the plasma formed on the surface of a cylindrical metallic load, driven by megagauss magnetic field at the 1MA Zebra generator (University of Nevada, Reno). An ionized aluminum plasma is used to represent the "core-corona" behavior in which a heterogeneous Z-pinch consists of a hot low-density corona surrounding a dense low-temperature core. The radiation dynamics model included simultaneously a self-consistent treatment of both the opaque and transparent plasma regions in a corona. For the parameters of this experiment, the boundary of the opaque plasma region emits the major radiation power with Planckian black-body spectrum in the extreme ultraviolet corresponding to an equilibrium temperature of 16 eV. The radiation heat transport significantly exceeds the electron and ion kinetic heat transport in the outer layers of the opaque plasma. Electromagnetic field energy is partly radiated (13%) and partly deposited into inner corona and core regions (87%). Surface temperature estimates are sensitive to the radiation effects, but the surface motion in response to pressure and magnetic forces is not. The general results of the present investigation are applicable to the liner compression experiments at multi-MA long-pulse current accelerators such as Atlas and Shiva Star. Also the radiation magnetohydrodynamic model discussed in the paper may be useful for understanding key effects of wire array implosion dynamics.

Experimental Design of a Magnetic Flux Compression Experiment

Generation of ultrahigh magnetic fields is an interesting topic of high-energy-density physics, and an essential aspect of Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF). To examine plasma formation from conductors impinged upon by ultrahigh magnetic fields, in a geometry similar to that of the MAGO experiments, an experiment is under design to compress magnetic flux in a toroidal cavity, using the Shiva Star or Atlas generator. An initial toroidal bias magnetic field is provided by a current on a central conductor. The central current is generated by diverting a fraction of the liner current using an innovative inductive current divider, thus avoiding the need for an auxiliary power supply. A 50-mm-radius cylindrical aluminum liner implodes along glide planes with velocity of about 5 km/s. Inward liner motion causes electrical closure of the toroidal chamber, after which flux in the chamber is conserved and compressed, yielding magnetic fields of 2–3 MG. Plasma is generated on the liner and central rod surfaces by Ohmic heating. Diagnostics include B-dot probes, Faraday rotation, radiography, filtered photodiodes, and VUV spectroscopy. Optical access to the chamber is provided through small holes in the walls.

Multichord optical interferometry of FRX-L’s field reversed configuration

A 0.633μm laser interferometer provides detailed time resolved information about the spatial distribution of the plasma density of field reversed configurations (FRC’s) produced by the FRX-L experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This experiment is an effort to produce a magnetized plasma with closed field lines suitable for compression by a solid metal liner imploded by the Shiva Star capacitor bank at the Air Force Research Laboratory. The interferometer probes a fanned array of eight chords through the FRC midplane, measuring the line integrated free electron density via its effect on optical phase shift relative to eight reference beams as a function of time. The reference beams are given nominally identical optical paths, except that they are folded for compactness and given an 80MHz higher optical frequency by use of a Bragg cell beam splitter. After the beams are recombined, interference results in 80MHz electromagnetic beat waves with dynamic phase shifts equal to those of the corresponding optical probes. Quadrature mixing of the electronically monitored light is then performed with rf components. Noteworthy features of the interferometer’s design are the unique compact folding scheme of the reference paths, inclusion of a fused quartz tube in the reference path similar to that of the FRC’s vacuum vessel to compensate for cylindrical lensing, and transmission of the interfering light via optical fibers to a rf shielded room for processing. Extraneous contributions to the phase shift due to vibration resulting from the system’s pulsed magnetic field, and dynamic refractive changes in or near the fused quartz tube wall (possibly due to radiation heating) are corrected for.

Using pulsed power for hydrodynamic code validation

As part of ongoing hydrodynamic code verification and validation efforts, a series of near-term liner experiments (NTLX) was designed for the Shiva Star capacitor bank at the Air Force Research Laboratory . An aluminum liner that is magnetically imploded onto a central target by self-induced Lorentz forces drove the experiments. Target design utilized the adaptive mesh refinement Eulerian hydrodynamics code radiative adaptive grid eulerian (RAGE) in twoand three-dimensions. One-dimensional simulations of the liner driver utilizing the lagrangian magnetohydrodynamics code RAVEN are used to set the initial temperature and density profiles as well as liner velocity at impact time. During liner/target impact, a convergent shock is generated in the target that drives subsequent hydrodynamics experiments. In concentric targets, a cylindrically symmetric shock will converge on axis. The degree of shock symmetry observed characterizes the liner symmetry at impact. By shifting the target center away from the liner driver axis, variations in shock propagation velocity generate off-center shock convergence. Results indicate that RAVEN and RAGE are in excellent agreement for the calculated shock trajectory. However, a small but significant discrepancy does occur during the last few millimeters of run-in when convergence effects are greatest. The codes predict shock arrival times that are approximately 100 ns faster than those observed experimentally.

Development of a high-current low-inductance crowbar switch for FRX-L

The design and test results of a crowbar switch developed for the formation of long-lifetime field-reversed configurations are presented. These research efforts are being pursued at the FRX-L facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory using the "Colt" capacitor bank (a 36 /spl mu/F Shiva Star bank module capable of storing up to 250 kJ) and at the Air Force Research Laboratory using the "Formation" capacitor bank (consisting of three parallel banks identical to Colt). The crowbar switch design includes four Maxwell rail-gap switches mounted on a cable header that transitions from the capacitor bank bus plates to 48 RG 17/14 coaxial cables. For the testing performed at AFRL, a dummy load was set up to simulate the magnetic field coils of the actual experiment. Tests thus far have demonstrated the crowbarring of peak currents up to 1.25 MA. Breakdown within the cable header due to the initial high voltage applied from the bank has been successfully suppressed by the cable feed-through design, proper placement of Mylar sheets around the switch for insulation, and replacement of air in the header with SF/sub 6/. Timing for the triggering of the crowbar is somewhat critical, as inductance in the switch increases when the switch is triggered with lower voltages across the switch rails. At the higher bank charge voltages, the charge-flow ratings on the rail-gap switches are exceeded; however, other than requiring that the rail electrodes in the switches be cleaned more frequently, no detrimental effects have been observed from the excessive charge flow.

High speed laser shadowgraphy for electromagnetically driven cylindrical implosions

A laser shadowgraphy system for high-speed imaging of a convergent cylindrical shockwave generated by an electromagnetically driven solid density liner implosion in Lucite is described. The laser shadowgraphy system utilizes an advanced high-energy, long-pulse, frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser for target illumination and a fast framing camera for multiple frame imaging of the shockwave as it radially converges and transits the Lucite. The time window resolution is 10 ns as determined by the fastest exposure time capable with the camera. Two on-axis symmetric implosions and two off-axis asymmetric implosion experiments were fielded at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Shiva Star 4.2 MJ capacitor bank z-pinch facility. For each experimental shot, the shadowgraphy system captured several frames of shadowgraph images as the shockwave moved through the Lucite. Analysis of the shockwave shadowgraph image shapes is done by fitting each shadowgraph image to a generic elliptical fit function and plotting the resultant two-dimensional image fits for comparison. For the on-axis symmetric implosion shots, a radial trajectory plot is extracted and a radial shock velocity is calculated. The Lucite shock speed is seen to increase monotonically from an initial velocity of 7.9 mm/μs to a near final velocity of 13.4 mm/μs as convergence effects dominate the shock speed calculated at small radii.

Problems and prospects for microsecond pulsed power above ten megamperes

Systems, such as Shiva Star, Atlas, and magnetic-flux compression generators (MCGs), that can deliver several megajoules at currents above 10 MA offer the opportunity for many interesting experiments in controlled fusion technology and basic material dynamics. Typical current rise-times of a few microseconds result, even with low inductance (<20 nH) circuitry, because several megajoules are delivered at less than 200 kV. This means that conductor surfaces can move significantly relative to the skin-layer thickness, and surface plasmas can interfere with power flow. Success with such multimegampere technology, therefore, requires considerable attention to the detailed design of joints and conductor surfaces. This paper discusses these and other design considerations. It also describes opportunities enabled by operation above 10 MA.

Multimegajoule Electromagnetic Implosion of Shaped Solid-Density Liners

Electromagnetic implosions of shaped cylindrical aluminum liners that remain at solid density are discussed. The approximate liner parameters have an initial radius of 3 to 4 cm, are 4 cm in height, and are nearly 0.1 cm thick. The liners are driven by the Shiva Star 1300-{mu}f capacitor bank at an 84-kV charging voltage and an nearly 30-nH total initial inductance (including implosion load). The discharge current travels along the length of the liner and rises to 14 MA in nearly 8 {mu}s. The implosion time is nearly 12 {mu}s. Diagnostics include inductive current and capacitive voltage probes, magnetic probes, and radiography. Both right-circular cylinder and conical liner implosion data are displayed and discussed. Radiography indicates implosion behavior substantially consistent with two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic calculations, which predict inner surface implosion velocities exceeding 20 km/s, and compressed density of two to three times solid density. Less growth of perturbations is evident for the conical liner (nearly 1% thickness tolerance) than for the right-circular cylindrical liner (nearly 3% thickness tolerance). 12 refs., 8 figs.

Current Delivery and Radiation Yield in Plasma Flow Switch-Driven Implosions

Vacuum inductive-store, plasma flow switch-driven implosion experiments have been performed using the Shiva Star capacitor bank (1300 {mu}f, 3 nH, 120 kV, 9.4 MJ). A coaxial plasma gun arrangement is employed to store magnetic energy in the vacuum volume upstream of a dynamic discharge during the 3- to 4-{mu}s rise of current from the capacitor bank. Motion of the discharge off the end of the inner conductor of the gun releases this energy to implode a coaxial cylindrical foil. The implosion loads are 5-cm-radius, 2-cm-long, 200 to 400 {mu}g/cm{sup 2} cylinders of aluminum or aluminized Formvar. With 5 MJ stored initially in the capacitor bank, more than 9 MA are delivered to the implosion load with a rise time of nearly 200 ns. The subsequent implosion results in a radiation output of 0.95 MJ at a power exceeding 5 TW (assuming isotropic emission). Experimental results and related two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations are discussed. 10 refs., 12 figs.

Target compression by working fluids driven with solid liner implosions

Compression by a spherical solid liner of a gold target surrounded by a hydrogen plasma is simulated. Two-dimensional simulations that treat only a subset of the physics included in the one-dimensional code were performed in an attempt to assess multidimensional effects. A one-dimensional numerical code has been developed to study the effects of thermal radiation and conduction. Results of pressure, density, and energy deposited for different initial plasma conditions are presented and discussed. Results from both one- and two-dimensional codes show that the average target density at peak compression is 39–43 g/cm3, using the SHIVA Star facility at 90 kV discharge.

A long conduction time compact torus plasma opening switch

Experiments to form and accelerate compact toroid (CT) plasmas have been performed on the 0.4-MJ Shiva Star fast capacitor bank at Phillips Laboratory. Theoretical investigations of employing a CT as a very fast opening switch are reported. A particular axisymmetric, geometrically complex switch design is studied with the help of 2-1/2-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic computer simulations. This design, called a magnetically-confined-plasma opening switch (McPOS), accumulates magnetic energy in an inductive store. Because of its intrinsic stability, the switch can conduct current for ten or more microseconds and can open in less than 100 ns-substantially less than the risetime of the capacitively produced electric current. A long conduction time compact torus plasma opening switch. >

Enhancement of the radiation yield, in plasma flow switch experiments

The Shiva Star fast capacitor bank, an inductive store, and a plasma flow switch were used to deliver multimegaampere currents with submicrosecond rise times to cylindrical foil loads. A series of numerical simulations of the plasma flow switch/imploding load system were performed with the goal of discovering a way to boost the total power radiated by the imploding plasma as it stagnates on the axis of symmetry. The changes to the experimental design that were investigated include variations of the shape of the electrodes, size and mass of the load foil, structure of the axial view vanes, shape and mass of the switching plasma, material from which the load is constructed, the degree to which the load is bowed, and the energy of the capacitor bank. Radiation yields in the range 6-9 TW are predicted for future experiments on Shiva Star.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Corrections to 'Enhanced load current delivery from the SHIVA Star vacuum inductive store/plasma flow switch' (Aug 88 423-7)

Corrections are made to figures in 'Enhanced load current delivery from the SHIVA Star vacuum inductive store/plasma flow switch' by D. W. Price et al. (1988).

Compact pulsed transformer power conditioning system for generating high voltage, high energy, rapid risetime pulses

Compact, lightweight air-core pulse transformers in open air have been developed. A SHIVA Star capacitor bank module (36 mu F, 120 kV, 260 kJ) was used to drive a transformer for generating high-voltage pulses into resistive loads. Voltages reaching 400 kV were delivered to a 6 Omega load at a total energy delivery of 60 kJ to the load. In order to achieve single high energy pulses to the load, several fused primary concepts were investigated and developed. These concepts along with transformer construction and first-order models of the system are presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Enhanced load current delivery from the SHIVA star vacuum inductive store/plasma flow switch

The SHIVA Star device is a 1313- mu F, 120-kV capacitative storage device capable of storing 9.4-MJ electrical energy. The experimental operating voltage is 90 kV. An increased current delivery from the SHIVA Star capacitor band to a plasma-flow-switch-driven cylindrical foil load is reported. Modification of a plasma-flow-switch electrode produces a current delivery that is a factor of two better than the best previous comparable efforts. Peak driving current is 12.3 MA; the peak load current is over 9.4 MA. At peak load current, driving current is 11.2 MA for a current delivery of 85% or more. Current delivery in the experimental system is reported. The modification specified entails partially closing the outflow electrode of a plasma-flow switch. >

Experimental Results from SHIVA Star Vacuum Inductive Store/Plasma Flow Switch Drven Implosions

Using a 1313-μF, 3-nH, 120-kV, 9.4-MJ SHIVA Star capacitor bank, we have performed vacuum inductive store/plasma flow switch (PFS) driven implosions of low mass (200-400 μg/cm2) cylindrical foil liners of 2-cm height and 5-cm radius. This technique employs a coaxial discharge through a plasma armature, which stores magnetic energy over 3-4 μs and rapidly switches it to an imploding load as the plasma armature exits the coaxial gun muzzle. The current transferred to the load by the PFS has a rise time of less than 0.2 μs. With 5-MJ stored energy, we have driven fast liner implosions with a current of over 9 MA, obtaining an isotropic equivalent 2.7-TW 0.5-MJ X-ray yield.

Simulations of a Plasma Flow Switch

In a portion of the experimental program using the SHIVA Star capacitor bank at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL), a cylindrical foil load is imploded using an inductive store and a plasma flow switch. We have performed a number of two-dimensional simulations of the switch and load using the MHD code MACH2. In addition to explaining the data from the first series of experiments, the simulations led to design modifications of the basic plasma flow switch that resulted in improved current delivery and in enhanced radiation yield. The experimental results are reported in a companion paper by Degnan et al. The key modification was closing portions of the vane structure. The switch must be sealed shut or else substantial current will flow in the diffuse gas that is ablated from the walls of the switch barrel.