Z Pulsed Power Facility

Coordinates: 35°02′08″N 106°32′33″W / 35.035451°N 106.542522°W / 35.035451; -106.542522 Coordinates: 35°02′08″N 106°32′33″W / 35.035451°N 106.542522°W / 35.035451; -106.542522 The Z Pulsed Power Facility, informally known as the Z machine, is the largest high frequency electromagnetic wave generator in the world and is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. Since its refurbishment in October 1996 it has been used primarily as an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research facility.Operated by Sandia National Laboratories, it gathers data to aid in computer modeling of nuclear weapons and eventual nuclear fusion pulsed power plants. The Z machine is located at Sandia's main site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Z machine origins can be traced from the Department of Energy needing to replicate the fusion reactions of a thermonuclear bomb in a lab environment to better understand the physics involved. Since the 1970s the DoE had been looking into ways to generate electricity from fusion reactions, with continuous reactions such as tokamaks or discrete fusion of small balls of light atoms. Since at the time lasers were far from having the required power, the main approach considered was heavy ion fusion. However major advances such as Q-switching and mode-locking made lasers an option (culminating in the National Ignition Facility) and the Heavy Ion Fusion programs became more or less dormant. In 1985, the review of DoE's program by the National Academies stated 'The energy crisis is dormant for the time being'. Heavy ion fusion machines were tasked to help military research improve nuclear bombs. The first research at Sandia dates back from 1971 where Gerold Yonas initiated and directed the particle-beam fusion program. Electrons were the first particles to be thought of, because the pulsed power accelerators at the time had already concentrated them at high power in small areas. However, shortly thereafter it was realized that electrons can not possibly heat the fusion fuel rapidly enough for the purpose. The program then moved away from electrons in favor of protons. These turned out to be too light to control well enough to concentrate onto a target, and the program moved on to light ions, lithium. The accelerators names reflect the change in emphasis: firstthe accelerator's name was EBFA-I (electron beam fusion accelerator), shortly thereafter PBFA-I, which became Saturn. Protons demanded another accelerator, PBFA-II, which became Z. In the December 1976 issue of Popular Science and in 1976 conference proceedings published in 1977, an article titled 'Particle Beam Fusion Research' described early work and first generation machines: Hydra (1972); Proto I (1975); Proto II (1977); EBFA/PBFA (electronic beam fusion accelerator/particle beam fusion accelerator) (1980). In 1985, the PBFA-II was created. Sandia continued to target heavy ion fusion at a slow pace despite the National Academies report. The November 1978 issue of Scientific American carried Yonas' first general-public article, 'Fusion power with particle beams'.