Publications

Trends in radiation production from dynamic-hohlraums driven by single and nested wire arrays were studied. The axial radiation developed from the interior of an imploding dynamic hohlraum target was compared with that generated using a standard nested array on Z. Measurements over a range of single-array masses showed a decrease in radiation power for masses above 3.5 mg.

Abstract not provided.

Abstract not provided.

We present results from crystal spectroscopic analysis of silicon aero-gel foams heated by dynamic hohlraums on Z. The dynamic hohlraum on Z creates a radiation source with a 230-eV average temperature over a 2.4-mm diameter. In these experiments silicon aero-gel foams with 10-mg/cm{sup 3} densities and 1.7-mm lengths were placed on both ends of the dynamic hohlraum. Several crystal spectrometers were placed both above and below the z-pinch to diagnose the temperature of the silicon aero-gel foam using the K-shell lines of silicon. The crystal spectrometers were (1) temporally integrated and spatially resolved, (2) temporally resolved and spatially integrated, and (3) both temporally and spatially resolved. The results indicate that the dynamic hohlraum heats the silicon aero-gel to approximately 150-eV at peak power. As the dynamic hohlraum source cools after peak power the silicon aero-gel continues to heat and jets axially at an average velocity of approximately 50-cm/{micro}s. The spectroscopy has also shown that the reason for the up/down asymmetry in radiated power on Z is that tungsten enters the line-of-sight on the bottom of the machine much more than on the top.

Abstract not provided.

Radiation generated within a 10-mm-long foam-target DH (dynamic hohlraum) is used for high-temperature (<200 eV) radiation-flow and inertial-confinement-fusion studies [Sanford et al., Phys. Plasmas 9, 3573 (2002)]. The length of this DH is varied from 5 to 20 mm, keeping the mass/unit length constant in an effort to study the scaling of axial radiation power with length, and better understand its production. Measurements show a greater variation in this power with length than would be expected from simple arguments [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 1673 (2001)]. Maximum axial power of {approx}10 TW is produced with a length of {approx}7.5 mm, similar to the typical power for the baseline 10 mm DH. The decreasing axial power (at a rate of {approx}0.65 TW per mm at longer lengths) is bounded by radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations [Peterson et al., Phys. Plasmas 6, 2178 (1999)] that include the development of the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane. The dramatic drop in axial power below 7.5 mm, by contrast, was unanticipated. This decrease suggests the presence of differing mechanisms for limiting power at short and long lengths.

Abstract not provided.

A z-pinch radiation source has been developed that generates 60 {+-} 20 KJ of x-rays with a peak power of 13 {+-} 4 TW through a 4-mm diameter axial aperture on the Z facility. The source has heated NIF (National Ignition Facility)-scale (6-mm diameter by 7-mm high) hohlraums to 122 {+-} 6 eV and reduced-scale (4-mm diameter by 4-mm high) hohlraums to 155 {+-} 8 eV -- providing environments suitable for indirect-drive ICF (Inertial Confinement Fusion) studies. Eulerian-RMHC (radiation-hydrodynamics code) simulations that take into account the development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane provide integrated calculations of the implosion, x-ray generation, and hohlraum heating, as well as estimates of wall motion and plasma fill within the hohlraums. Lagrangian-RMHC simulations suggest that the addition of a 6 mg/cm{sup 3} CH{sub 2} fill in the reduced-scale hohlraum decreases hohlraum inner-wall velocity by {approximately}40% with only a 3--5% decrease in peak temperature, in agreement with measurements.