Dynamical Domain Tabular Collisional Radiative Equilibrium Radiation Transport Model for Argon Gas-Puff Z-Pinch Plasmas

Summary form only given. The proper treatment of the radiation transport in the multidimensional MHD simulations of large diameter argon gas-puff Z-pinch loads is essential in understanding and predicting accurately the dynamic evolution and the radiative emission characteristics of the plasmas. The tabular collisional radiative equilibrium (TCRE) radiation transport model represents a novel approach to the realistic self-consistent treatment of the non-local, non-LTE radiation physics and ionization dynamics in a computationally efficient manner in an arena that has traditionally been reserved for the diffusion or other approximate transport models. Because of the complexity of the problem and the present computational limits, the simulations of large diameter loads still impose a severe restriction on the grid resolution and the amount of detailed physics one can incorporate into the model. In this study, we will present the formulation of the dynamical domain TCRE (DDTCRE) transport model toward an alleviation of the current limitations of the TCRE transport model, and which affords a greater freedom to accommodate additional details and physics in multidimensional radiation MHD modeling of the plasmas. A comparison of a series of benchmark static transport calculations using the DDTCRE and TCRE transport models will characterize the accuracy and efficiency of the model. Finally, the validation of the DDTCRE model in treating non-LTE ionization dynamics and radiation transport physics within the context of 2D radiation MHD simulation of a large diameter argon gas-puff Z-pinch load will be presented