Simulations of the formation of strongly coupled plasmas using pulsed power

Summary form only given. One experimental campaign planned for the pulse power facility, Atlas, will be devoted to the investigation of strongly-coupled plasma (SCP) effects on transport phenomena and equations-of-state in high-Z materials. Methods for forming strongly coupled plasmas using the pulsed-power facility, Atlas, are currently under investigation. For SCP experiments being planned, a metal plasma (/spl rho///spl rho//sup 0//spl sim/0.1, and T/spl sim/1-2 eV) imbedded in gas or foam (/spl rho//spl sim/.05 /spl rho//sub metal/, T/spl sim/0.5 eV) can produce initial values of /spl Gamma/ (coupling parameter) between 2-20. One approach to forming a plasma with the desired properties involves using an auxiliary capacitor bank to ohmically heat a thin metal shell to vaporization. The expansion of the plasma is impeded by the imbedding gas. Both one and two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic models are being employed to characterize the plasma and determine the tamping conditions required for its confinement. Results for a titanium plasma, the confinement dynamics for this system, and values obtained for /spl Gamma/ will be presented. Means for experimentally diagnosing such plasmas will also be discussed.