Topological structures of electrical currents and magnetic surfaces in multi-wire S-pinch

• Main Authors: Volkov, N.B., Golub, T.A., Spielman, R.B., Gondarenko, N.A.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE Operations Center, Piscataway, NJ (United States) 31-12-1998
• Subjects: 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCE TECHNOLOGY; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; ELECTRIC CURRENTS; MAGNETIC SURFACES; PINCH EFFECT; TOPOLOGY; WIRES; X-RAY SOURCES
• ISSN: 0730-9244; 2576-7208

A multi-wire S-pinch, represented by a liner of hourglass-type surface with wires turned over the surface, is proposed to use as an effective source of x-ray radiation. Various configurations of design, corresponding to certain topological structure of electrical currents in a load, are considered. Advantages of multi-wire S-pinch compared to conventional Z-pinch loads are: (a) axial magnetic field promoting mitigation of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities is created naturally by means of turning wires; (b) more efficient plasma compression; (c) initial load curvature and axial magnetic field results in the azimuthal Lorentz force, which causes twisting of plasma column over the least cross section where rotation velocity is zero. The twisting of plasma column provides an additional stabilizing effect on plasma surface in a long-length wave perturbation region and also results in energy concentration in the least cross section due to reconnection of magnetic lines and localization of hot spot in a load center. Results of the theoretical analysis of topological structure of electrical currents and magnetic surfaces in multi-wire S-pinches with various load curvature and number of wires will be discussed.