Compression of Plasma to Megabar Range using Imploding Liner

J. H. Degnan; M. L. Alme; B. S. Austin; J. D. Beason; S. K. Coffey; D. G. Gale; J. D. Graham; J. J. Havranek; T. W. Hussey; G. F. Kiuttu; B. B. Kreh; F. M. Lehr; R. A. Lewis; D. E. Lileikis; D. Morgan; C. A. Outten; R. E. Peterkin, Jr; D. Platts; N. F. Roderick; E. L. Ruden; U. Shumlak; G. A. Smith; W. Sommars; P. J. Turchi

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.2681

Abstract

Axial current discharges were used to implode spherical aluminum shells with thickness tapered to match the external magnetic pressure. These implosions were used to compress hydrogen plasmas with an initial pressure $> 100 bar$ and an initial temperature $> 1 eV$ . The implosion and compressed plasma effect on a central target were observed radiographically. The target's radius vs time indicates that the plasma pressure reaches $\sim 1 Mbar$ prior to liner-target contact.

Received 19 August 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.2681

Authors & Affiliations

J. H. Degnan, M. L. Alme^a, B. S. Austin, J. D. Beason, S. K. Coffey^b, D. G. Gale^c, J. D. Graham^d, J. J. Havranek, T. W. Hussey, G. F. Kiuttu, B. B. Kreh, F. M. Lehr, R. A. Lewis^e, D. E. Lileikis, D. Morgan^f, C. A. Outten^g, R. E. Peterkin, Jr., D. Platts^h, N. F. Roderickⁱ, E. L. Ruden, U. Shumlak^j, G. A. Smith^k, W. Sommars^l, and P. J. Turchi^m

Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87117-5776

^aPresent address: Center for Adaptive Systems Applications, Los Alamos, NM 87544.
^bAlso at NumerEx, Albuquerque, NM 87106.
^cAlso at Maxwell Technologies Inc., Albuquerque, NM 87106.
^d
^eAlso at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
^fAlso at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545.
^gPresent address: Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc., Buffalo, NY 14207.
^h
ⁱPermanent address: Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
^jPermanent address: Aerospace Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.
^k
^l
^mPermanent address: Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mechanics, and Aviation, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.

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