Wire Array Z-pinch Implosions Research Articles

Investigation on the scaling of magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instability to the current rise time of Z-pinch plasmas

Understanding how the magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instability (MRTI) scales to the current rise time is vital for Z-pinch dynamic hohlraum driven inertial confinement fusion. Wang et al discovered in prior theoretical work that the perturbation amplitude of MRTI before stagnation increases linearly with the current rise time when the implosion velocity of Z-pinch plasma is held constant. In the present work, three types of wire-array experiments with similar implosion dynamics and constant implosion velocity are performed on an 8 MA pulse power generator to investigate the scaling of MRTI to the rise time. It is successfully accomplished for the first time to obtain the similar wire-array Z-pinch implosions in which the current rise time is scaled up to three times on the generator by controlling the trigger time of its 24 modules. Both the experimental results, which include x-ray radiation pulses and x-ray images of imploding plasmas, and the related numerical analysis have shown that the MRTI before stagnation grows linearly with the rise time, as predicted by the theoretical model.

Opacity and gradients in aluminum wire array z-pinch implosions on the Z pulsed power facility

Aluminum wire array z pinches imploded on the Z generator are an extremely bright source of 1–2 keV radiation, with close to 400 kJ radiated at photon energies >1 keV and more than 50 kJ radiated in a single line (Al Ly-α). Opacity plays a critical role in the dynamics and K-shell radiation efficiency of these pinches. Where significant structure is present in the stagnated pinch this acts to reduce the effective opacity of the system as demonstrated by direct analysis of spectra. Analysis of time-integrated broadband spectra (0.8–25 keV) indicates electron temperatures ranging from a few 100 eV to a few keV are present, indicative of substantial temperature gradients.

Increasing the K-shell yield of line radiation in Z-pinch implosions using alloyed Al/Mg wire-arrays

The variation of the K-shell yield of pure aluminum wire-array Z-pinch implosions with load parameters is discussed. The mechanism and the efficiency of increasing the K-shell yield using alloyed Al/Mg wire-arrays are numerically investigated. It has been shown that the maximum K-shell yield from a pure aluminum wire-array Z-pinch implosion can be obtained at an optimal load mass for a given generator and at a fixed initial wire-array radius. This optimal load mass is determined by the load energy coupling with the generator, the capability of Z-pinch plasmas to emit the K-shell radiation, and the self absorption of K-shell lines. For different generators, the optimal load mass increases as the drive current increases, and the line absorption limits the further increase of K-shell radiation. The coupled energy per ion is likely decreasing with increased mass, so the plasma might not be able to ionize into the K-shell. Also, the ability of the plasma to radiatively cool can increase with mass, thus, making it difficult for the plasma to ionize into and remain in the K-shell during the stagnation phase of the implosion. Alloyed Al/Mg wire-arrays were thus suggested to be used to decrease the opacity of K-shell lines and to increase the overall K-shell yield. In this paper, we show that using alloyed Al/Mg wire-arrays will decrease the opacity and increase the K-shell yield remarkably if the plasma is optically thick. We will also show that the efficiency of increasing the K-shell yield with alloyed Al/Mg wire-arrays cannot increase indefinitely. The ratio of K-shell yield from an alloyed Al/Mg wire-array to that from a pure aluminum wire-array reaches a limit. For example, we show that when the mass share of magnesium is 10% then this limit is 1.2, and for a 50% mass share, the limit is 1.3.

X-ray backlight imaging in Z-pinch

A novel X-ray backlight imaging system has been developed to obtain diagnostic information about implosion targets, wire-array Z-pinch implosions and ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The key component of the imaging system is the spherically bent quartz (1010) crystal with a curvature radius of 143mm. The imaging system is capable of the two-dimensional, spatially resolved, monochromatic backlight imaging. A monochromatic X-ray backlight imaging experiment using the imaging system was performed for the first time on the “Yang” accelerator at the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics. The plasma from implosion of aluminium wire arrays was used as the backlighting source. The X-ray film obtained the two-dimensional backlight mesh imaging of He-like aluminium ions. The experimental results show that the X-ray backlight imaging system provides an approximate 75μm spatial resolution at a 9mm×20mm field of view. The backlight imaging system is adequate for monochromatic X-ray backlighting imaging diagnosis on the “Yang” accelerator.

Grazing incidence extreme ultraviolet spectrometer fielded with time resolution in a hostile Z-pinch environment

This recently developed diagnostic was designed to allow for time-gated spectroscopic study of the EUV radiation (4 nm < λ < 15 nm) present during harsh wire array z-pinch implosions. The spectrometer utilizes a 25 μm slit, an array of 3 spherical blazed gratings at grazing incidence, and a microchannel plate (MCP) detector placed in an off-Rowland position. Each grating is positioned such that its diffracted radiation is cast over two of the six total independently timed frames of the MCP. The off-Rowland configuration allows for a much greater spectral density on the imaging plate but only focuses at one wavelength per grating. The focal wavelengths are chosen for their diagnostic significance. Testing was conducted at the Zebra pulsed-power generator (1 MA, 100 ns risetime) at the University of Nevada, Reno on a series of wire array z-pinch loads. Within this harsh z-pinch environment, radiation yields routinely exceed 20 kJ in the EUV and soft x-ray. There are also strong mechanical shocks, high velocity debris, sudden vacuum changes during operation, energic ion beams, and hard x-ray radiation in excess of 50 keV. The spectra obtained from the precursor plasma of an Al double planar wire array contained lines of Al IX and AlX ions indicating a temperature near 60 eV during precursor formation. Detailed results will be presented showing the fielding specifications and the techniques used to extract important plasma parameters using this spectrometer.

Bow shocks in ablated plasma streams for nested wire array z-pinches: A laboratory astrophysics testbed for radiatively cooled shocks

Astrophysical observations have demonstrated many examples of bow shocks, for example, the head of protostellar jets or supernova remnants passing through the interstellar medium or between discrete clumps in jets. For such systems where supersonic and super-Alfvénic flows and radiative cooling are all important, carefully scaled laboratory experiments can add insight into the physical processes involved. The early stage of a wire array z-pinch implosion consists of the steady ablation of material from fine metallic wires. Ablated material is accelerated toward the array axis by the J×B force. This flow is highly supersonic (M&amp;gt;5) and becomes super-Alfvénic (MA&amp;gt;2). Radiative cooling is significant in this flow and can be controlled by varying the material in the ablated plasma. The introduction of wires as obstructions in this steady flow leads to the formation of bow shocks, which can be used as a laboratory testbed for astrophysical bow shocks. The magnetic field associated with this obstruction wire can be controlled by varying the current through it. Differences in the shock for different cooling rates and different magnetic fields associated with the obstruction will be discussed, along with comparisons of dimensionless parameters in the experiments to astrophysical systems.

Radiation characteristics of single wire array Z-pinch implosion

Single wire array Z-pinch experiments were carried out on the 3—4 MA Angara-5-1 facility employing a set of diagnostic equipment, including an X-ray power meter with platform response to record X-ray emission bursts and a time resolved pinhole camera to obtain soft X-ray images. Experimental results indicated that when the diameter of wire array was fixed, implosions of arrays with smaller wire diameter started earlier and had a larger convergence ratio. In addition, when the wire gap was larger, the wire plasma could not merge effectively but moved inward individually at an early imploding stage, and larger wire diameter with larger wire gap had longer instability wavelength. The results also showed that when the wire diameter was fixed, implosions of arrays with larger diameter started earlier and had higher implosion speeds and wider plasma dispersion during implosions. Implosions of arrays with larger wire and array diameter had longer pulse X-ray width.

Preliminary studies on the mechanism of radiation production in aluminum wire array Z-pinch implosion

The mechanism of energy conversion and radiation emission of aluminum wire array Z-pinch implosion has been studied by using a one-dimension non-equilibrium magnetohydrodynamic code. The energy transfer processes have been discused carefully, which shows that the accelerator feeds its stored energy to plasma via Poynting energy flux, and plasma kinetic energy is converted to plasma internal energy through pdV work and shock heating, thus producing radiation via several atomic processes including line radiation, recombination radiation and bremsstrahlung radiation. With the information of atomic populations, the mechanism of producing radiation has been anzlyzed. It is shown that in the implosion stage the ionization and excitation processes dominate, leading to the dominant yield of line radiation.While at stagnation most ions are in naked states, so the recombination radiation is the main radiation source. Corresponding to the two peak fractional populations of H-like and He-like ions, the line radiation also exhibits two radiation peaks at the time near peak compression. In the expansion stage, it is the radiative recombination that dominates the atomic processes, thus decreasing the share of line radiation in total radiation.

Modifying Wire-Array Z-Pinch Ablation Structure and Implosion Dynamics Using Coiled Wires

Coiled arrays, which are cylindrical arrays in which each wire is formed into a helix, suppress the modulation of ablation at the fundamental wavelength. Outside the vicinity of the wire cores, ablation flow from coiled arrays is modulated at the coil wavelength and has a two-stream structure in the r, thetas plane. Within the vicinity of the helical wires, ablation is concentrated at positions with the greatest azimuthal displacement, and plasma is axially transported from these positions such that the streams become aligned with the sections of the coil furthest from the array axis. The GORGON MHD code accurately reproduces this observed ablation structure, which can be understood in terms of J times B forces that result from the interaction of the global magnetic field with a helical current path as well as additional current paths suggested by the simulations. With this ability to control where the ablation streamers occur, large wavelength coils were constructed such that the breaks that form in the wires had sufficient axial separation to prevent perturbations in the implosion sheath from merging. This produced a new mode of implosion in which the global instability can be controlled, and perturbations correlated between all wires in an array. For large-wavelength eight-wire coiled arrays, this produced a dramatic increase in X-ray power, equaling that of a 32-wire straight array. These experiments were carried out on the mega ampere generator for plasma implosion experiments (1 MA, 240 ns) at Imperial College London, London, U.K.

Study of the effect of preliminary wire explosion on X-ray generation during wire array Z-pinch implosion

Results are presented from experimental studies and numerical simulations of the effect of preliminary wire explosion on the parameters of X-ray emission generated during wire array Z-pinch implosion. The wire array implosion was driven by a current pulse with an amplitude of 0.5 MA and a rise time of 0.5 μs, while the preliminary wire explosion was produced by a current pulse with an amplitude of 0.5–1 kA per wire, a rise time of 100 ns, and a full width at half maximum of ∼200 ns. The experiments showed that the current prepulse significantly impaired the parameters of X-ray pulses. In particular, along with a decrease in the amplitude and an increase in the duration of the X-ray pulse, its spiky structure became more pronounced. The results of numerical simulations with the use of a one-dimensional radiative MHD code are in good agreement with the parameters of Z-pinch emission in experiments with and without a current prepulse.

Neutron emission generated during wire array Z-pinch implosion onto deuterated fiber

The implosion of both cylindrical and conical wire arrays onto a deuterated polyethylene fiber was studied on the S-300 pulsed power generator [A. S. Chernenko et al., Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on High Power Particle Beams (Academy of Science of Czech Republic, Prague, 1996), p. 154]. Neutron measurements were used to obtain information about acceleration of fast deuterons. An average neutron yield approached 109 on the current level of 2MA. In the case of conical wire arrays, side-on neutron energy spectra peaked at 2.48±0.05MeV with 450±100keV full width at half-maximum. In the downstream direction, the peak neutron energy and the width of a neutron spectrum were 2.65±0.10MeV and 350±100keV, respectively. The total number of fast deuterons was 1015 and their average kinetic energy was about 150keV. Most of the deuterons were directed toward the cathode. The broad width of neutron spectra in the side-on direction implied a high radial component of deuteron velocity. With regard to the emission time, neutron pulses temporally correlated with hard x rays and also with measured voltage. The neutron emission lasted on average 30±5ns and it was observed during the stagnation and at the beginning of the expansion of a plasma column. At this moment, the plasma impedance reached 0.2–0.4Ω. In the post-stagnation phase, this value was formed significantly by enhanced plasma resistance. Similar experimental results were observed also with cylindrical wire arrays imploding onto a deuterated fiber.

Use of microsecond current prepulse for dramatic improvements of wire array Z-pinch implosion

The Sphinx machine [F. Lassalle et al., “Status on the SPHINX machine based on the 1microsecond LTD technology”] based on microsecond linear transformer driver (LTD) technology is used to implode an aluminium wire array with an outer diameter up to 140mm and maximum current from 3.5to5MA. 700to800ns implosion Z-pinch experiments are performed on this driver essentially with aluminium. Best results obtained before the improvement described in this paper were 1–3TW radial total power, 100–300kJ total yield, and 20–30kJ energy above 1keV. An auxiliary generator was added to the Sphinx machine in order to allow a multi microsecond current to be injected through the wire array load before the start of the main current. Amplitude and duration of this current prepulse are adjustable, with maxima ∼10kA and 50μs. This prepulse dramatically changes the ablation phase leading to an improvement of the axial homogeneity of both the implosion and the final radiating column. Total power was multiplied by a factor of 6, total yield by a factor of 2.5 with a reproducible behavior. This paper presents experimental results, magnetohydrodynamic simulations, and analysis of the effect of such a long current prepulse.

UV Laser Probing of Imploding Wire-Array Plasmas on the Angara-5-1 Facility

Dynamics of tungsten wire-array Z-pinch implosions driven by a current of 3 MA has been studied on the Angara-5-1 facility by using a UV laser probe developed in the Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry. The single-wire-array results including implosion trajectory, an implosion velocity of 3.7 X 107 cm/s, and a minimum pinch size of no more than 0.9 mm were obtained. The numerical analysis indicates that the measured trajectory, velocity, and minimum pinch size were of the plasma with electron density of the order of 2 times 1020 cm-3.

Structure of the dense cores and ablation plasmas in the initiation phase of tungsten wire-array Z pinches

The early stages of tungsten (W) wire-array Z-pinch implosions have been studied using two-frame point projection x-ray backlighting on the 1MA COBRA pulsed power generator [J. D. Douglass, J. B. Greenly, D. A. Hammer, and B. R. Kusse, in Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference, Monterey, 2005 (to be published)]. X-pinch backlighter images with subnanosecond time resolution and 4–10μm spatial resolution have been obtained of individual W exploding wires in 8-wire arrays that show evolution of wire-core and coronal plasma structures. The timing of the X-pinch x-ray bursts relative to the Z-pinch initiation time was adjusted over a 50ns time interval by varying the X-pinch mass per unit length. Wire-cores seen in two images separated in view by 120° show that the expansion is remarkably azimuthally symmetric. A strong correlation is observed between the structure on the dense exploding wire-cores and the structure of the ⩾1018∕cm3 ablation plasma being drawn from radial prominences. Plasma ablation velocity was estimated to have a lower bound of 24km∕s. The wire-core expansion rate was found to be approximately constant with time over the interval 50–100ns after the start of the current pulse. Finally, micron-scale axial gaps, seen as early as 70ns into the current pulse and persisting from that time, were observed along the wire-core.

A model for ablated-plasma distribution and width for wire-array Z-pinch implosions

A one-dimensional radial magnetohydrodynamic model of the plasma ablated from a multi-MA wire-array Z pinch is developed. The model is used to compute the mass weighted-density width δ of the plasma at the end of the ablation phase. The wire-array cores are represented as a prescribed source of plasma injection. The plasma, beyond a thin boundary layer, is approximated as a perfect conductor experiencing only magnetic forces and negligible pressure gradients. Assuming that the current driving the Z-pinch implosion increases linearly with time t during the ablation phase, and that the mass-ablation rate varies as tν, it is shown that the density width δ is a function of the dimensionless parameter λ=ua(ta)ta∕r0, where ua is the ablation velocity, ta is the total ablation time, and r0 is the initial wire-array radius. The velocity ua is defined such that its product with the mass-ablation rate equals the magnetic force at r0, which is assumed to be the mass injection point. A solution is obtained for the plasma flow in semianalytical form when the current is an exponential function of time, and ua is constant. The ablated plasma density width δ obtained under these two sets of conditions is compared. In addition, assuming that the plasma sheath at stagnation is proportional to the width δ, scaling relationships for the peak x-ray power radiated when the pinch stagnates on axis are suggested.

Study of tungsten wire array Z-pinch implosion on Qiang-Guang I facility

The main results of investigation on the tungsten wire array Z-pinch implosion experiment performed on Qiang-Guang I facility in 2003 are reported in this paper. A set of diagnostic equipments including an x-ray power meter (XRPM), a 1D spatial-temporal x-ray meter and a pinhole camera was used to study implosion process and x-ray radiation characteristics of the tungsten wire array. In the experiment, the maximum x-ray yield of 36.6kJ was obtained for an optimizing load with a diameter of 8mm and a length of 20mm, which consists of 32 5-μm-diameter tungsten wires. The experimental results show that the region of x-ray emission decreased at a rate of 6.4×106cm/s by analysing the data of the 1D spatial-temporal x-ray meter. It also shows that the peak time of x-ray radiation was prior to the time when plasmas were compressed into a near-axis region.

Physics of wire array Z-pinch implosions: experiments at Imperial College

A review of recent experiments on the MAGPIE generator (1 MA, 250 ns) aimed at studying the implosion dynamics of wire array Z-pinches is presented. The first phase of implosion is dominated by the gradual ablation of stationary wire cores and gradual redistribution of the array mass by the precursor plasma flow. It is found that the rate of wire ablation depends on the magnitude of the global (collective) magnetic field of the array, and increases with the field. The existence of the modulation of the ablation rate along the wires leads to the presence of a ‘trailing’ mass left behind by the imploding current sheath. The trailing mass provides an alternative path for the current, reducing the force available for compression of the pinch at stagnation. The observed dependence of the ablation rate on inter-wire separation suggests an explanation for the existence of the optimal wire number maximizing the x-ray power. Axially resolved spectroscopy shows the presence of the x-ray ‘bright’ spots (< 150 µm) emitting intense continuum radiation.

Measurements of the mass distribution and instability growth for wire-array Z-pinch implosions driven by 14–20 MA

The mass distribution and axial instability growth of wire-array Z-pinch implosions driven by 14–20 MA has been studied using high-resolution, monochromatic x-ray backlighting diagnostics. A delayed implosion is consistently observed in which persistent, dense wire cores continuously ablate plasma until they dissipate and the main implosion begins. In arrays with small interwire gaps, azimuthally correlated axial instabilities appear during the wire ablation stage and subsequently seed the early growth of magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities. The instabilities create a distributed implosion front with trailing mass that may limit the peak radiation power.

Use of spherically bent crystals to diagnose wire array z pinches

Spherically bent mica and quartz crystals have provided time-integrated spectra and monochromatic images in self-radiation of wire array z-pinch implosions on the MAGPIE generator (1 MA, 240 ns) at Imperial College. Diagnostics based on spherically bent crystals offer higher efficiencies than those based on flat or convex dispersion elements, allowing positioning far from the pinch with good debris shielding. A mica crystal spectrometer produced an image of the pinch in each emission line with about 100 μm axial resolution. Combining the results of monochromatic imaging and spectra confirmed the presence of bright spots, probably generated by energetic electrons inside the pinch.

Enhanced energy coupling and x-ray emission in Z-pinch plasma implosions

Recent experiments conducted on the Saturn pulsed-power generator at Sandia National Laboratories [R. B. Spielman et al., in Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Dense Z Pinches, Laguna Beach, CA, 1989, edited by N. R. Pereira, J. Davis, and N. Rostoker (American Institute of Physics, New York, 1989), p. 3] have produced large amounts of x-ray output, which cannot be accounted for in conventional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations. In these experiments, the Saturn current had a rise time of ∼180 ns in contrast to a rise time of ∼60 ns in Saturn’s earlier mode of operation. In both aluminum and tungsten wire-array Z-pinch implosions, 2–4 times more x-ray output was generated than could be supplied according to one-dimensional (1D) magnetohydrodynamic calculations by the combined action of the j×B acceleration forces and ohmic heating (as described by a classical Braginskii resistivity). In this paper, we reexamine the problem of coupling transmission line circuits to plasma fluid equations and derive expressions for the Z-pinch load circuit resistance and inductance that relate these quantities in a 1D analysis to the surface resistivity of the fluid, and to the magnetic field energy that is stored in the vacuum diode, respectively. Enhanced energy coupling in this analysis, therefore, comes from enhancements to the surface resistivity, and we show that plasma resistivities approximately three orders of magnitude larger than classical are needed in order to achieve energy inputs that are comparable to the Saturn experiment x-ray outputs. Large enhancements of the plasma resistivity increase the rate of magnetic field and current diffusion, significantly modify the qualitative features of the MHD, and raise important questions as to how the plasma fluid dynamics converts enhanced energy inputs into enhanced x-ray outputs. One-dimensional MHD calculations in which resistivity values are adjusted phenomenologically are used to illustrate how various dynamical assumptions influence the way enhanced energy inputs are channeled by the fluid dynamics. Variations in the parameters of the phenomenological model are made in order to determine how sensitively they influence the dynamics and the degree to which the calculated x-ray outputs can be made to replicate the kinds of large variations in the experimental x-ray power data that were observed in three nominally identical aluminum wire shots on Saturn.