Observations of Modified Three-Dimensional Instability Structure for Imploding z-Pinch Liners that are Premagnetized with an Axial Field

T. J. Awe, R. D. McBride, C. A. Jennings, D. C. Lamppa, M. R. Martin, D. C. Rovang, S. A. Slutz, M. E. Cuneo, A. C. Owen, D. B. Sinars, K. Tomlinson, M. R. Gomez, S. B. Hansen, M. C. Herrmann, J. L. McKenney, C. Nakhleh, G. K. Robertson, G. A. Rochau, M. E. Savage, D. G. Schroen, and W. A. Stygar
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 235005 – Published 3 December 2013

Abstract

Novel experimental data are reported that reveal helical instability formation on imploding z-pinch liners that are premagnetized with an axial field. Such instabilities differ dramatically from the mostly azimuthally symmetric instabilities that form on unmagnetized liners. The helical structure persists at nearly constant pitch as the liner implodes. This is surprising since, at the liner surface, the azimuthal drive field presumably dwarfs the axial field for all but the earliest stages of the experiment. These fundamentally 3D results provide a unique and challenging test for 3D-magnetohydrodynamics simulations.

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  • Received 9 July 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.235005

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

T. J. Awe1,*, R. D. McBride1, C. A. Jennings1, D. C. Lamppa1, M. R. Martin1, D. C. Rovang1, S. A. Slutz1, M. E. Cuneo1, A. C. Owen1, D. B. Sinars1, K. Tomlinson2, M. R. Gomez1, S. B. Hansen1, M. C. Herrmann1, J. L. McKenney1, C. Nakhleh3, G. K. Robertson1, G. A. Rochau1, M. E. Savage1, D. G. Schroen2, and W. A. Stygar1

  • 1Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
  • 2General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121, USA
  • 3Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

  • *tjawe@sandia.gov

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Issue

Vol. 111, Iss. 23 — 6 December 2013

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