Abstract
The gas-puff -pinch is a well-known source of x-rays and/or neutrons, but it is highly susceptible to the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability (MRTI). Approaches to MRTI mitigation include density profile tailoring, in which nozzles are added or modified to alter the acceleration trajectory, and axial pre-magnetization, in which perturbations are smoothed out via magnetic field line tension. Here, we present two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of loads driven by an 850 kA, 160 ns driver that suggest these mitigation strategies can be additive. The initial axial magnetic field, , to stabilize a 2.5-cm-radius Ne gas liner imploding onto an on-axis deuterium target can be reduced from 0.7 T to 0.3 T by adding a second liner with a radius of 1.25 cm. Because MRTI mitigation tends to increasingly lower yield with higher , the use of a lower field is advantageous. Here, we predict a reduction in yield penalty from with the single liner to with a double liner. A premagnetized, triple nozzle gas puff could therefore be an attractive source for intense neutrons or other fusion applications.
- Received 3 March 2021
- Revised 8 June 2021
- Accepted 28 July 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.104.L023201
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