Bright Spots in X-pinch Plasmas at 6 MA

ORAL

Abstract

Bright, $\sim$1 $\mu$m, 10-100 ps x-ray sources with extreme plasma parameters are routinely created using X-pinch plasmas driven by 0.2 MA. Modeling suggests that even more extreme plasma parameters might be possible at higher current. We present data from the first 6 MA X-pinch experiments on the SATURN facility at Sandia National Laboratories. The mass required to pinch near peak current was surprisingly low ($\sim$14 mg/cm vs. $\sim$3 mg/cm at 1 MA) and the smallest x-ray source measured was $\sim$60 $\mu$m in size. Following up on recent work by Pikuz et al. at 1 MA, experiments in September will use nested-array X-pinch implosions to improve the symmetry.

*Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. This work was funded by LDRD funds at Sandia.

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Authors

  • D.B. Sinars

  • D.J. Ampleford

  • E.P. Yu

  • C.A. Jennings

  • M.E. Cuneo

  • D.F. Wenger

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-1193, USA

  • S.A. Pikuz

  • T.A. Shelkovenko

    • Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

  • S.N. Bland

  • J.P. Chittenden

    • Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom