Architecture of petawatt-class z-pinch accelerators

Autor: W. A. Stygar, M. E. Cuneo, D. I. Headley, H. C. Ives, R. J. Leeper, M. G. Mazarakis, C. L. Olson, J. L. Porter, T. C. Wagoner, J. R. Woodworth
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2007
Předmět:
Zdroj: Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams, Vol 10, Iss 3, p 030401 (2007)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1098-4402
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.10.030401
Popis: We have developed an accelerator architecture that can serve as the basis of the design of petawatt-class z-pinch drivers. The architecture has been applied to the design of two z-pinch accelerators, each of which can be contained within a 104-m-diameter cylindrical tank. One accelerator is driven by slow (∼1 μs) Marx generators, which are a mature technology but which necessitate significant pulse compression to achieve the short pulses (≪1 μs) required to drive z pinches. The other is powered by linear transformer drivers (LTDs), which are less mature but produce much shorter pulses than conventional Marxes. Consequently, an LTD-driven accelerator promises to be (at a given pinch current and implosion time) more efficient and reliable. The Marx-driven accelerator produces a peak electrical power of 500 TW and includes the following components: (i) 300 Marx generators that comprise a total of 1.8×10^{4} capacitors, store 98 MJ, and erect to 5 MV; (ii) 600 water-dielectric triplate intermediate-store transmission lines, which also serve as pulse-forming lines; (iii) 600 5-MV laser-triggered gas switches; (iv) three monolithic radial-transmission-line impedance transformers, with triplate geometries and exponential impedance profiles; (v) a 6-level 5.5-m-diameter 15-MV vacuum insulator stack; (vi) six magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs); and (vii) a triple-post-hole vacuum convolute that adds the output currents of the six MITLs, and delivers the combined current to a z-pinch load. The accelerator delivers an effective peak current of 52 MA to a 10-mm-length z pinch that implodes in 95 ns, and 57 MA to a pinch that implodes in 120 ns. The LTD-driven accelerator includes monolithic radial transformers and a MITL system similar to those described above, but does not include intermediate-store transmission lines, multimegavolt gas switches, or a laser trigger system. Instead, this accelerator is driven by 210 LTD modules that include a total of 1×10^{6} capacitors and 5×10^{5} 200-kV electrically triggered gas switches. The LTD accelerator stores 182 MJ and produces a peak electrical power of 1000 TW. The accelerator delivers an effective peak current of 68 MA to a pinch that implodes in 95 ns, and 75 MA to a pinch that implodes in 120 ns. Conceptually straightforward upgrades to these designs would deliver even higher pinch currents and faster implosions.
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