Application of VisRad modeling to design of hohlraum experiments on Zebra with enhanced current
Résumé
VisRad (Prism Computational Sciences), a 3-D view factor code, is used to simulate the multi-dimensional radiation environment within a compact hohlraum. A new hohlraum design proposed in B. Jones, et al. [PRL, v.104, 125001, (2010)] incorporates multiple compact (mm-scale) planar wire array (PWA) x-ray sources that surround a target in the center of the hohlraum cavity, allowing a reduction of hohlraum surface area and potentially providing a hotter x-ray environment. The first experiments with this prototype of hohlraum with two magnetically-decoupled PWA sources were performed on the 1.7 MA Zebra at the University of Nevada, Reno without significant loss of radiation yields and power due to implementation of a new Load Current Multiplier (LCM). VisRad simulations have predicted a center hohlraum radiation temperature >; 30eV, showing good correlation to experimental EUV data (hν >; 17 eV). Special emphasis is made on Trad and uniformity at the test target surface. Also discussed is the scaling of the new hohlraum multisource configurations using VisRad for higher current, 20 MA-scale generators.