Planar wire-array Z-pinch implosion dynamics and X-ray scaling at multiple-MA drive currents for a compact...

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Inertial Confinement Fusion
• High-Energy-Density Physics

Background:

• Traditional indirect drive configurations face limitations in efficiency and scalability.
• Compact Z-pinch sources offer a promising alternative for generating intense x-ray radiation.
• Optimizing hohlraum design is crucial for efficient energy coupling in fusion experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate a novel indirect drive configuration using multiple compact Z-pinch x-ray sources surrounding a secondary hohlraum.
• To explore the potential of planar compact wire arrays for reducing primary hohlraum surface area.
• To analyze the scaling of x-ray power and yield for future hohlraum modeling.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an indirect drive configuration with multiple compact Z-pinch x-ray sources.
• Employed planar compact wire arrays as loads for Z-pinch implosions.
• Conducted experiments on the Saturn facility to achieve high x-ray power.
• Performed viewfactor modeling for optimizing secondary hohlraum design.

Main Results:

• Achieved up to 15 TW x-ray power with radiated yields exceeding calculated kinetic energy.
• Demonstrated that planar arrays reduce primary hohlraum surface area compared to cylindrical loads.
• Studied x-ray power and yield scaling from 1-6 MA.
• Viewfactor modeling indicated potential for 90 eV radiation temperature with four 6-MA planar arrays.

Conclusions:

• The proposed indirect drive configuration shows promise for efficient x-ray generation.
• Observed radiated yields suggest additional heating mechanisms beyond kinetic energy in Z-pinch implosions.
• The results motivate further research into optimizing planar array Z-pinches for secondary hohlraum applications.