Multi-wire X Pinches on the COBRA Pulsed Power Generator

T.A. Shelkovenko, S.A. Pikuz, J.D. Douglass, R.D. McBride, and D.A. Hammer
Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

6th International Conference on Dense Z-pinches Oxford, 2005

Top view of COBRA chamber

X pinches with 1 MA current

X pinch timing

Shot #

Imax (kA)

Ixp (kA)

X pinch wires

Radiated energy, first burst (mJ) E > 1.7 keV 250 150 200 300 450 100 (E >2.5 keV) > 1700 ~ 1600

Radiated energy, all bursts (mJ) E > 1.7 keV ~ 1200 ~ 500 ~500 ~750 ~ 1000 ~500 (E >2.5 keV) >1700 2500

185 187 210 212 217 320 326 330

520 640 678 700 870 924 1012 ?

420 550 590 650 750 600 850 ?

6x40 m Mo 12x25 m NiCr 6x25 m W 6x40 m Mo 6x50 m Invar 8x25 m manganin 8x50 m W 8x50 m W

Table 1. E stimated energy yield of central X pinch on COBRA.

Shot #

Load current (kA)

South X pinch E > 0.7 keV Wires (m) Energy(mJ) 4x12.7 Mo 4x12.7 Mo 4x12.7 Mo 4x12. Mo 4x12.7 Mo 15 10 120 55 40

North X pinch E > 0.7 keV Wires (m) Energy (mJ) 4x17 Mo 4x17 Mo 4x17 Mo 4x12.7 Mo 4x12.7 Mo 30 20 10

200 204 207 208 222

820 926 1008 981 917

Table 2. E stimated energy yield of X pinches in a return current circuit of the diode on COBRA.

Conclusions
COBRA pulsed power generator is a promising device for X pinch experiments. The experiments show the X pinches can have very high plasma and x-ray burst parameters if proper wire materials and masses were chosen. COBRA generator give the possibility of essentially extend of the X pinches plasma and radiation parameters and, because of that, field of application.

This research was supported in part by DOE grant DE-FG03-98ER54496, in part by Sandia national Laboratories Contract AO258, and in part by the Stewardship Sciences Academic Alliances program of the National Nuclear Security Administration under DOE Cooperative agreement DE-FC0302NA00057