Preradiation studies for non-thermal Z-pinch wire load experiments on Saturn

The implosion dynamics of compact wire arrays on Saturn are explored as a function of wire mass m, wire length {ell}, wire radii R, and radial power-flow feed geometry using the ZORK code. Electron losses and the likelihood of arcing in the radial feed adjacent the wire load are analyzed using the TWOQUICK and CYLTRAN codes. The physical characteristics of the implosion and subsequent thermal radiation production are estimated using the LASNEX code in one dimension. These analyses show that compact tungsten wire arrays with parameters suggested by D. Mosher and with a 21-nH vacuum feed geometry satisfy the empirical scaling criterion I/(M/{ell}) {approximately} 2 MA/(mg/cm) of Mosher for optimizing non-thermal radiation from z pinches, generate low electron losses in the radial feeds, and generate electric fields at the insulator stack below the Charlie Martin flashover limit thereby permitting full power to be delivered to the load. Under such conditions, peak currents of {approximately}5 MA can be delivered to wire loads {approximately}20 ns before the driving voltage reverses at the insulator stack, potentially allowing the m = 0 instability to develop with the subsequent emission of non-thermal radiation as predicted by the Mosher model.