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This document outlines the Ancho Canyon testing facility comprehensive material characterization capabilities. These include the high explosive (HE) firing sites, a full complement of gun facilities, and variety of pulse power capacitor bank systems of various energies. The explosive fabrication capability at Los Alamos allows the design and testing of unique HE experimental assemblies. Depending on the hydrodynamic requirements, these explosive systems can vary widely in cost. Years of experience have enabled the development of a comprehensive set of diagnostics to monitor these experiments.
Research on topics requiring high magnetic fields and high currents have been pursued using high explosive pulsed power (HEPP) techniques since the 1950s at Los Alamos National Laboratory. We have developed many sophisticated HEPr systems through the years, and most of them depend on technology available from the nuclear weapons program. Through the 1980s and 1990s, our budgets would sustain parallel efforts in zpinch research using both HEPr and capacitor banks. In recent years, many changes have occurred that are driven by concerns such as safety, security, and environment, as well as reduced budgets and downsizing of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) complex due to the end of the cold war era. In this paper, we review the teclmiques developed to date, and adaptations that are driven by changes in budgets and our changing complex. One new Ranchero-based solid liner z-pinch experimental design is also presented. Explosives that are cast to shape instead of being machined, and initiation systems that depend on arrays of slapper detonators are important new tools. Some materials that are seen as hazardous to the environment are avoided in designs. The process continues to allow a wide range of research however, and there are few, if any, experiments that we have done in the past that could not be perform today. The HErr firing facility at Los Alamos continues to have a 2000 lb. high explosive limit, and our 2.4 MJ capacitor bank remains a mainstay of the effort. Modem diagnostic and data analysis capabilities allow fewer personnel to achieve better results, and in the broad sense we continue to have a robust capability.
In 1980, Los Alamos formed the 'Megajoule Committee' with the expressed goal of developing a one Megajoule plasma radiation source. The ensuing research and development has given rise to a wide variety of high explosive pulsed power accomplishments, and there is a continuous stream of work that continues to the present. A variety of flux compression generators (FCGs or generators) have been designed and tested, and a number of pulse shortening schemes have been investigated. Supporting computational tools have been developed in parallel with experiments. No fewer that six unique systems have been developed and used for experiments. This paper attempts to pull together the technical details, achievements, and wisdom amassed during the intervening thirty years, and notes how we would push for increased performance in the future.
High explosive pulsed power (HEPP) techniques can address a wide range of pulsed power needs. The basis for HEPP techniques is the use of high explosives to reduce the inductance of a current-carrying circuit, thus multiplying the current due to magnetic flux conservation. For the past twenty years at Los Alamos, our high energy density physics (HEDP) program has followed a path leading to more sophisticated and higher current (and often power) systems. Twenty years ago, we had the capability of conducting tests at 10, or even 30 MA, with no power conditioning and low inductance loads. The time scale of the experiment was the time it took to compress the flux explosively, and our fastest generator with high current capability was a plate generator. The operating time of the generator is less than 15 [mu]s, and flux loading requires either an additional ≈60 [mu]s or a reduced-efficiency inductive coupling scheme. We could also deliver shortened pulses to select loads by completing our generator circuit, initially, with a relatively high inductance circuit element, then switching in a lower inductance with 2-3 [mu]s left of the generator pulse. Figure 1 shows the results of such a test. The test was conducted in 1974 to investigate our capability to drive plasma z-pinch experiments for the production of soft x-rays, and was a pulsed power success. However, our understanding of vacuum power flow issues was not mature enough at that time to design a functioning plasma z-pinch load. There was a renewed need for such a system in 1980, and at that time we began assembling a complete set of techniques required for success. We first fielded a baseline test using a simplified version of the HEPP system that generated the Figure 1 data. Subsequent tests followed a 'bite size' philosophy. That is, we first designed a complete system for a level of complexity at which we believed success could be achieved. We conducted tests of that system, and once it was working in all respects, we designed the next generation system. The ultimate goal of this process was to develop a source of ≈1 MJ of soft x-rays. The process culminated, after the development of two intermediate level systems, with the development of the Procyon system. This system produced x-ray pulses of up to 1.7 MJ at temperatures up to 97 eV. Following those experiments, our attention turned to powering solid-density z-pinch liners, requiring even higher current systems. At Los Alamos, we developed the Ranchero system for that purpose, and we have collaborated with HEPP experts in Russia to power similar liner loads using disk generator systems. Our Ranchero system includes a module tested at ≈50 MA, that should operate easily at 70-90 MA. We designed Ranchero to allow modules arrayed in parallel to generate currents over 200 MA, and we are confident that we can do experiments now at 50-200 MA in the same way that we could do tests at 10-30 MA with plate generators 20 years ago. We have recently stepped back from our quest for higher energy and power systems to consider what applications we can address using relatively low cost plate generators coupled with advances achieved in our HEDP system development. We will describe relevant HEPP components, and discuss two promising applications.