Isochoric Heating and Dynamic Compression Experiments using Pulsed Power at Advanced Light Sources

Dynamic compression experiments at advanced light sources are commonly performed using gas guns and pulsed lasers. High-current pulsed power systems offer a very compact (1m³) and complementary capability that can deliver > kJ of electrical energy into ~ cm scale samples over ~ 100 ns in experimental hutches as a non-permanent installation.



This approach was used to drive complex hydrodynamic experiments, such as computationally optimized jetting geometries, that require driving large samples inaccessible to portable pulsed lasers. The pressure waves generated through pulsed power techniques can have arbitrary geometries, including convergent systems. Additionally, using high-current discharges also allows probing of electrical phenomena related to pulsed power inertial fusion energy schemes such as the electrothermal instability, or magnetized plasma physics.



In this talk, I will present a summary of our recent results fielding pulsed power at the European Synchrotron and the pioneering experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray free electron laser – which mark the first use of high-current pulsed power at an XFEL.

LLNL-ABS-2002567