Preconditioned wire array Z-pinches driven by a double pulse current generator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that using a double pulse current generator can suppress core-corona structures in wire array Z-pinches, leading to more uniform implosions and potential improvements in X-ray power production.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel double pulse current generator that effectively suppresses core-corona structures in wire array Z-pinches, enhancing implosion uniformity.

Findings

Suppressed core-corona structures in aluminum wire arrays.

Achieved gasification of wires before main implosion.

Observed significant magneto Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Abstract

Suppressing of the core-corona structures shows a strong potential as a new breakthrough in the X-ray power production of the wire array Z-pinches. In this letter, the demonstration of suppressing the core-corona structures and its ablation using a novel double pulse current generator "Qin-1" facility is presented. The "Qin-1" facility coupled a ~10 kA 20 ns prepulse generator to a ~ 1 MA 170 ns main current generator. Driven by the prepulse current, the two aluminum wire array were mostly heated to gaseous state rather than the core-corona structures, and the implosion of the aluminum vapors driven by the main current showed no ablation, and no trailing mass. The seeds for the MRT instability formed from the inhomogeneous ablation were suppressed, however, the magneto Rayleigh-Taylor instability during the implosion was still significant and further researches on the generation and development of the magneto Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities of this gasified wire array are needed.