A numerical study on laboratory plasma dynamics validated by low current x-pinch experiments

Abstract

The computational study of x-pinch plasmas driven by pulsed power generators demands the development of advanced numerical models and simulation schemes, able to enlighten the experiments. The capabilities of PLUTO code are here extended to enable the investigation of low current produced x-pinch plasmas. The numerical modules of the code used and modified are presented and discussed. The simulations results are compared to experiments, carried out on a table-top pulsed power plasma generator implemented in a mode of producing a peak current of ∼45 kA with a rise time (10%–90%) of 50 ns, loaded with Tungsten wires. The structural evolution of plasma density is studied and its influence on the magnetic field is analyzed with the help of the new simulation data. The simulated areal mass density is compared with the experimentally measured dense opaque region to enlighten the dense plasma evolution. In addition, the measured areal electron density is compared to the simulation results. Moreover, the new simulation data offer valuable insights to the main jet formation mechanisms, which are further analyzed and discussed in relation to the influence of the J × B force and the momentum.

Progress on the electro-thermo-mechanical instability and its role as seed on plasma instabilities

“…The loaded wire was modelled using finite elements, while boundary elements were used to model the surrounding vacuum. At the transition to the plasma phase, the results of the Lagrangian FEM-BEM simulation were input to the coupled modified 3D resistive MHD code PLUTO [37][38][39] for the study of the plasma and instability dynamics. The coupled FEM-BEM simulation was able to compute all the states of matter from the solid to the plasma phase as well as their transitions.…”

High-intensity laser-driven secondary radiation sources using the ZEUS 45 TW laser system at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers of the Hellenic Mediterranean University Research Centre

“…Besides their use for the generation of XUV radiation for dense plasma diagnosis, they are excellent devices for basic plasma physics studies such as for instance plasma instabilities grow. The technical parameters and specifications of these devices can be found in [91][92][93][94][95]. Upon request the devices can be offered to users either as hard X/XUV radiography diagnostics synchronised to the ZEUS laser or as individual plasma sources for experiments.…”

“…The technical parameters and specifications of these devices can be found in Refs. [91][92][93][94][95]. Upon request the devices can be offered to users either as hard X/XUV radiography diagnostics synchronized to the ZEUS laser or as individual plasma sources for experiments.…”

High performance simulations of a single X-pinch

“…Especially, the GORGON Eulerian code is ideal for MHD plasma applications such as laser-produced magnetized jets [28][29][30], Z and X-pinch wire configurations [31][32][33][34], Z-pinch wire arrays [35][36][37][38][39], conical arrays, radial wire arrays and foils which create magnetically driven outflows and are studied in laboratory astrophysics experiments mainly for jets of young stellar objects [29,30,[40][41][42][43][44]. The Eulerian modular code PLUTO [2,[45][46][47][48] was recently used [49] to simulate the plasma evolution from two wire tungsten load X-pinch experiments. The code successfully described the 'zippering' effect, the pinch generation and the jet initiation, formation, and evolution.…”