Comparison of Radiative Properties of Wire Arrays and X-Pinches on the 1.7 MA Zebra Generator
ORAL
Abstract
The Zebra generator, a pulse power device, of 1 MA and 100 ns rise time was upgraded with a Load Current Multiplier (LCM) to implode wire loads at higher current of 1.7 MA. Radiative properties of two different wire load configurations, Cylindrical Wire Arrays (CWA) and X-Pinches, are considered and compared. The CWA is 6 Ni-60 wires, mostly Cu, arranged in a cylindrical pattern. The CWA has a total radiation yield of 16 kJ from a column like source including a precursor plasma column prior to the implosion of the wires. The X-pinch was composed of a Ti alloy (6{\%} Al, 4{\%} V). The total radiation yield was 19 kJ and was primarily a point like source with a higher density than the CWAs. Additionally K-shell Al radiated unexpectedly strong in X-pinches for its low percentage of the material. Plasma properties will be described using pinhole images to display the structure and spectra to estimate electron temperatures and densities.
*This work was supported by NNSA under DOE Cooperative Agreement DE-NA0001984 and in part by DE-NA0002075.
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