Theory of enhanced kilovolt radiation from mixtures of elements of atomic numbers 11-14

Summary form only given, as follows. A decade ago it was shown that the K shell emissivity of a Z pinch plasma can be significantly enhanced over that of a single element plasma when an element of nearby atomic number is mixed with the one and the line opacity is reduced. Recent experiments at Physics International Co. have shown that this enhanced emissivity resulted in actual yield increases when Al wires were coated with Mg and driven on a 4-MA generator. An additional feature appeared: the Mg coating imploded prior to the Al and was driven to hotter temperatures. In the present work we examine Na, Mg, Al, and Si with respect to both types of radiation-enhancing effects. The first effect referred to is the reduced line opacity when several elements are employed in a Z pinch, keeping the plasma mass the same as that which would be used for one element on the same generator. The second of these effects is the tailoring of the temperature distribution of the plasma to make each element light up as close as possible to its most effective radiating temperature. Detailed static and hydrodynamic calculations show that significant further yield enhancements are achievable.