High energy density physics (HEDP) research at Sandia National Laboratories

Summary form only given, as follows. Summary form only given. A comprehensive high energy density physics (HEDP) research program is being pursued at Sandia National Laboratories. Investigations to date include laboratory astrophysics, shock physics, equation-of-state, radiation transport, opacity physics, hohlraum physics, and inertial confinement fusion physics. This research is primarily being conducted on Sandia National Laboratories´ Z facility. This large pulsed power facility is capable of driving peak currents of 20 MA in magnetic flyer plate and Z-pinch loads that produce flyer velocities of 28 km/s, X-ray energies of 1-2 MJ and X-ray powers of 100-220 TW. The various arrangements of Z-pinch driven soft X-ray sources on Z to produce hohlraums suitable for HEDP experiments will be described. Additionally, HEDP experimental arrangements on Z that directly employ large magnetic fields associated with its 20 MA peak pulsed current will also be examined. The paper will focus on recent HEDP experiments that have been conducted on Z that include opacity measurements that have astrophysical significance, deuterium equation-of-state measurements, hohlraum symmetry measurements using a laser back lighter, and ICF capsule implosion experiments.