Publications Details
The Z accelerator as a source of > 100 kJ of x-rays above 4.8 keV
Recent K-shell scaling experiments on the 20 MA Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories have shown that large diameter (40 and 55 mm) arrays can be imploded with 80 to 210 wires of titanium or stainless steel. These implosions have produced up to 150 kJ of > 4.5 keV x-rays and 65 kJ of > 6.0 keV x-rays in 7 to 18 ns FWHM pulses. This is a major advance in plasma radiation source (PRS) capability since there is presently limited test capability above 3 keV. In fact, Z produces more > 4.5 keV x-rays than previous aboveground simulators produced at 1.5 keV. Z also produces some 200 kJ of x-rays between 1 and 3 keV in a continuous spectrum for these loads. The measured spectra and yields are consistent with 1-dimensional MHD calculations performed by NRL. Thermoelastic calorimeters, PVDF gauges, and optical impulse gauges have been successfully fielded with these sources.