2020 Annual Meeting of the Far West Section
Volume 65, Number 17
Friday–Saturday, October 9–10, 2020;
Virtual, Pacific Time
Session H01: High Energy Density Physics
11:45 AM–12:30 PM,
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Chair: Alex Frano, University of California, San Diego
Abstract: H01.00001 : High Energy Density Science: A New Frontier for Creating Matter Under Extreme Conditions**
11:45 AM–12:30 PM
Live
Preview Abstract
Author:
Farhat Beg
(University of California, San Diego)
High Energy Density Science (HEDS) spans the extremes of nature and laboratory research, from
the interiors of stars and planets to fusion energy. This young field encompasses the interrogation
of material properties and physical processes under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure,
and magnetic field. HEDS provides a unified approach to understanding the underlying
fundamentals of nuclear physics, planetary science, and astrophysics. The central challenge is to
understand the rapid transitions between physical regimes upon changes in pressure,
temperature, and magnetic field.
High power lasers and pulsed power-driven Z-pinches are two tools that are used to create
extreme states of matter for applications including thermonuclear fusion, neutron, and x-ray
sources. In the case of high power lasers, the basic understanding of the laser energy absorption
in the target and particle generation is important. The questions that need to be addressed are; i)
what is the role of preplasma on laser energy absorption and particle generation? and ii) how the
particle generation could be tailored by modifying the target geometry? In the case of pulsed
power-driven Z-pinches, one or more annular shells, or liners, could be used to implode onto a
central column or target. As the load implodes, the outer surface becomes susceptible to the
magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability (MRTI), the mitigation of which is critical to ensure stable and
uniform compression and heating for the above-mentioned applications. Two approaches to
mitigate the RTI are density profile tailoring and axial pre-magnetization. By altering the initial
mass distribution of the load, the implosion trajectory is altered such that acceleration is zero or
negative. If there is an axial field pre-embedded in the load, field line tension can act as a restoring
force. Details of these approaches will be discussed.
*This work was supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0003842.