Review and modeling of Soviet explosive pulse-power technology for high energy plasma physics experiments

Summary form only given. Soviet scientists have recently reported remarkable advances in explosively driven pulse-power systems based upon magnetic flux compression generators. Combining relatively large, high-gain helical generators with very-high-current disk explosive magnetic generators (DEMGs), two Soviet groups reported experiments in which 100-MJ energies were inductively stored in inductances of 3.2-56 nH at currents of 60 to 25Q MA. Experiments were reported in which the energy delivery time to a load was shortened to approximately 1 μs by the use of electrically exploded metal (copper) fuses. In these power conditioning experiments a DEMG was used to deliver 36-MJ to 20-nH inductive store at 60 MA, and the fuse transferred 35 MA to a 10-nH load at 400 kV. Los Alamos hydrodynamic codes ranging from simple Gurney models (including magnetic pressure) to complete two-dimensional models have been used to characterize the Soviet DEMGs. Models suggest that these energy-rich generator systems, coupled with opening switches such as conventional and explosively formed fuses, can significantly extend the parameter space in which plasma physics experiments can be conducted