Innovative Approach for Enhancing Shaped X-ray Production in Z-pinches*

Among z-pinch loads tested at 1.7 MA Zebra generator, planar wire arrays (PWAs) were found to be the best x-ray radiators. PWAs were recently highlighted (PRL 104, 125001, 2010) as potential sources for a new ICF multisource compact hohlraum setup at multi-MA generators. Recent performance optimization of PWA, which exhibits a large resistive energy/power gain and a small, mm-scale size, is reviewed. The anisotropy of radiation yields from single- and double-PWAs that might be caused by opacity effects was observed: higher yield was orthogonally to an array plane or along wire rows in single- and double-PWA (DPWA), respectively. Skewed DPWA implosions, which produce an axial magnetic field to reduce instabilities, generate higher Te/Ne compared to a standard DPWA. Feasible x-ray pulse shaping was demonstrated with DPWA and triple-PWA by varying array composition and parameters. The studies were supported by non-LTE kinetic, WADM, and MHD simulations. * This work was supported by NNSA under DOE Cooperative Agreements DE-FC52-06NA27586, DE-FC52-06NA27588, and in part by DE-FC52-06NA27616.