Imploding plasmas driven by high-explosive flux compression generators

The goal of the Los Alamos Imploding Plasma Project is the development of an intense source of soft x-rays and hot plasma produced from the thermalization of plasma kinetic energy. The source will be used for material studies and fusion experiments. Specifically, thin, current-carrying cylindrical metallic plasmas are imploded via their self-magnetic forces. Features of the project are the use of high explosive-driven flux compression generators as the prime power source and pulse compression by means of fast opening switches. The Pioneer series of experiments is the authors' first attempt at fielding such a system. These experiments have focused on confronting issues in power flow and the coupling of a high-explosive flux compression generator to an imploding plasma at moderate energies. The active inductive storage circuit includes a fast plate generator, plasma compression switch, and integral transmission line and diode load. The electrical performance of the system has been monitored by means of Rogowski loops, Faraday rotation current detectors, and capacitive voltage probes, and the plasma has been diagnosed by means of visible and x-ray imaging, visible and uv spectroscopy, XRD's and fast bolometry. The observations and analysis of the plasmas implosion dynamics and radiation characteristics and the system's electrical performance are presented