Quasi-Spherical Implosions on ZR as a Novel Source for Effects Testing

Summary form only given. Quasi-spherical Z-pinch loads may be formed by an array of wires laid down on an appropriate path along the surface of a quasi-sphere. A 2-cm diameter quasi-spherical 18-mg, copper 160-wire-array or wire-basket has been designed as a load for ZR at 28-MA. Internal to this load is 4-mg of foam at a 1-cm diameter. 1D hydrodynamic simulation of the implosion of this load on ZR shows that the imploding quasi-spherical wire basket may compress the foam along conical glide planes a factor of 7 to produce a high temperature radiation source. The compression is nearly adiabatic and most of the 0D kinetic energy of the imploding copper is converted into internal energy of the foam. Radiation from the high temperature foam may be transmitted through a 1-mm diameter exit filter along the axis of ZR and used as a source of 5 to 9-keV photons for weapons effects testing. The exit filter is designed to trap photons with energies less than 5-keV inside the imploded copper quasi-sphere, and pass photons with 5 to 9-keV energies. A simple model including radiation loss out the exit filter shows that the radiated yield at energies above 5-keV may approach 100-kJ on ZR. This yield is emitted from a radiation cavity out along the axis into 3.14 steradians as opposed to cylindrical wire array implosions, which emit into 12.56 steradians. The internal quasi-spherical approach to producing an effects source may deliver more flux above 5-keV to test samples than cylindrical wire-arrays at machine currents greater than the 28-MA of ZR