Co-sponsored by: MIPSE

A dense plasma focus (DPF) is a relatively compact coaxial plasma gun which completes its discharge as a Z‐pinch. These devices have been designed to operate at a variety of scales in to produce short (<100 ns) pulses of ions, X‐ rays, or neutrons. LLNL has recently constructed and brought into operation of a new device, the MJOLNIR (MegaJoule Neutron Imaging Radiography) DPF which is designed for radiography and high yield operations. This device has been commissioned over the last year and has achieved neutron yields up to 4×10^11 neutrons/pulse at 2.2 MA pinch current while operating at up to 1 MJ of stored energy. MJOLNIR is equipped with a wide range of diagnostics, including activation foils, neutron time of flight detectors, a fast framing camera, optical light gates, and a time‐gated neutron and x‐ray imager. LLNL also runs unique particle‐in‐cell (PIC) simulations of DPF in the Chicago code, and has been able to gain significant insight into the physical factors that influence neutron yield. To that end, MJOLNIR is one of the first DPFs whose design and continual upgrades are heavily influenced by predictive modeling. In this presentation, we will describe insights from modeling, device operation, and recent results. Preliminary x‐ray and neutron images will also be presented.

Speaker(s): Dr. Andrea Schmidt,

Location:
Room: 1005
Bldg: EECS
1301 Beal Ave
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48109