8 research outputs found
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Design and MHD modeling of ATLAS experiments to study friction
Transverse shear at the interface of two solids occurs when these solids move at different velocities. This frictional phenomenon is being studied in a series of experiments on the ATLAS capacitor bank at Los Alamos. Cylindrical targets to test friction force models are composed of alternating regions of high- and low-shock speed materials. When the target is impacted by a cylindrical, magnetically-accelerated aluminum liner, the differential shock velocity in the two materials establishes the desired shear at the interface. One- and two-dimensional MHD calculations have been performed to design liners with suitable properties to drive these 'friction-like' ATLAS experiments. A thick impactor allows the shock to be maintained for several microseconds. The ATLAS experiments use a liner that is approximately 10 mm thick at impact, with an inner surface velocity of {approx} 1.4-1.5 km/s. Interaction of this thick liner with the electrodes, or glide planes, results in significant deformation of the hardened stainless steel electrodes. Data from the ATLAS experiments and comparisons with the calculations will be presented, along with plans for future experiments
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Atlas performance and imploding liner parameter space
Ultra-high magnetic fields have many applications in the confining and controlling plasmas and in exploring electron physics as manifested in the magnetic properties of materials. Another application of high fields is the acceleration of metal conductors to velocities higher than that achievable with conventional high explosive drive or gas guns. The Atlas pulse power system is the world's first pulse power system specifically designed to implode solid and near-solid density metal liners for use in pulse power hydrodynamic experiments. This paper describes the Atlas system during the first year of its operational life at Los Alamos, (comprising 10-15 implosion experiments); describes circuit models that adequately predicted the bulk kinematic behavior of liner implosions; and shows how those (now validated) models can be used to describe the range of parameters accessible through Atlas implosions
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Computational modeling of magentically driven liner-on-plasma fusion experiments
Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) is an approach to controlled fusion which potentially avoids the difficulties of the traditional magnetic and inertial confinement approaches. It appears possible to investigate the critical issues for MTF at low cost, relative to traditional fusion programs, utilizing pulsed power drivers much less expensive than ICF drivers, and plasma configurations much less expensive than those needed for full magnetic confinement. Computational and experimental research into MTF is proceeding at Los Alamos, VNIIEF, and other laboratories
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MHD modeling of atlas experiments to study transverse shear interface interactions
The transverse shear established at the interface of two solids moving at differential velocities on the order of the sound speed is being studied in experiments on the ATLAS capacitor bank at Los Alamos. The ATLAS bank has finished certification tests and has demonstrated peak currents of 27.5 MA into an inductive load with a risetime of 5 microseconds. One- and two-dimensional MHD calculations have been performed in support of these 'friction-like' ATLAS experiments. Current flowing along the outer surface of a thick aluminum liner, 10 mm thick at impact with the interaction target, accelerates the liner to velocities of {approx}1.0-1.5 km/s. This cylindrically imploding liner impacts a target assembly composed of alternating disks of high- and low-density materials. Different shock speeds in the two materials leads to a differential velocity along the interface. Shock heating, elastic-plastic flow, and stress transport are included in the calculations. Material strength properties are modeled with a Steinburg-Guinan treatment in these first studies. Various design configurations for the ATLAS experiments are now being considered and will be presented
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MHD modeling of magnetized target fusion experiments.
Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) is an alternate approach to controlled fusion in which a dense (0(1017-'8 cm-')), preheated (O(200 ev)), and magnetized (0( 100 kG)) target plasma is hydrodynamically compressed by an imploding liner. If electron thermal conduction losses are magnetically suppressed, relatively slow O(1 cm/microsecond) 'liner-on-plasma' compressions may be practical, using liners driven by inexpensive electrical pulsed power. Target plasmas need to remain relatively free of potentially cooling contaminants during formation and compression. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations including detailed effects of radiation, heat conduction, and resistive field diffusion have been used to model separate target plasma (Russian MAGO, Field Reversed Configuration at Los Alamos National Laboratory) and liner implosion experiments (without plasma fill), such as recently performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory (Albuquerque). Using several different codes, proposed experiments in which such liners are used to compress such target plasmas are now being modeled in one and two dimensions. In this way, it is possible to begin to investigate important issues for the design of such proposed liner-on-plasma fusion experiments. The competing processes of implosion, heating, mixing, and cooling will determine the potential for such MTF experiments to achieve fusion conditions
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PROGRESS TOWARD UNDERSTANDING MAGNETIZED TARGET FUSION (MTF).
Magnetized target fusion (MTF) takes advantage of (1) the reduction of the electron thermal conductivity in a plasma due to magnetization and (2) the efficient heating through bulk compression. MTF proposes to create a warm plasma with an embedded magnetic field and to compress it using an imploded liner or shell. The minimum energy required for fusion in an optimized target is directly proportional to the mass of the ignited fusion fuel. Simple theoretical arguments and parameter studies have demonstrated that MTF has the potential for significantly reducing the power and intensity of a target driver needed to achieve fusion. In order to acquire a comprehensive understanding of MTF and its potential applications it is prudent to develop more complete and reliable computational techniques. This paper briefly reviews the progress toward that goal
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Pulsed power hydrodynamics : a new application of high magnetic fields.
Pulsed Power Hydrodynamics is a new application of high magnetic fields recently developed to explore advanced hydrodynamics, instabilities, fluid turbulences, and material properties in a highly precise, controllable environment at the extremes of pressure and material velocity. The Atlas facility at Los Alamos is the world's first and only laboratory pulsed power system designed specifically to explore this relatively new family of megagauss magnetic field applications. Constructed in 2000 and commissioned in August 2001, Atlas is a 24-MJ high-performance capacitor bank delivering up to 30 MA with a current risetime of 5-6 {micro}sec. The high-precision, cylindrical, imploding liner is the tool most frequently used to convert electrical energy into the hydrodynamic (particle kinetic) energy needed to drive the experiments. For typical liner parameters including initial radius of 5 cm, the peak current of 30 MA delivered by Atlas results in magnetic fields just over 1 MG outside the liner prior to implosion. During the 5 to 10-{micro}sec implosion, the field outside the liner rises to several MG in typical situations. At these fields the rear surface of the liner is melted and it is subject to a variety of complex behaviors including: diffusion dominated andor melt wave field penetration and heating, magneto Raleigh-Taylor sausage mode behavior at the liner/field interface, and azimuthal asymmetry due to perturbations in current drive. The first Atlas liner implosion experiments were conducted in September 2000 and 10-15 experiments are planned in the: first year of operation. Immediate applications of the new pulsed power hydrodynamics techniques include material property topics including: exploration of material strength at high rates of strain, material failure including fracture and spall, and interfacial dynamics at high relative velocities and high interfacial pressures. A variety of complex hydrodynamic geometries will be explored and experiments will be designed to explore uristable perturbation growth and transition to turbulence. This paper will provide an overview of the range of problems to which pulsed power hydrodynamics can be applied and the issues associated with these techniques. Other papers at this Conference will present specifics of individual experiments and elaborate on the liner physics issues
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Material science experiments on the Atlas Facility
Three material properties experiments that are to be performed on the Atlas pulsed power facility are described; friction at sliding metal interfaces, spallation and damage in convergent geomety, and plastic flow at high strain and high strain rate. Construction of this facility has been completed and experiments in high energy density hydrodynamics and material dynamics will begin in 2001