Browsing by Subject "Megagauss"
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Item Megagauss 2.0 : a 10 capacitor system for production of megagauss fields for laser plasma experiments(2013-05) Lewis, Sean Matthew; Bengtson, Roger D.High magnetic fields greater than 100 Tesla applied to laser generated plasmas can generate unique and interesting conditions. High power laser systems at the University of Texas in the Center for Higher Energy Density Sciences readily produce short lived fusion plasmas in cluster targets. A strong magnetic field could increase fusion neutron yield and plasma confinement while providing a unique plasma physics environment. For this purpose, Sandia National Laboratories in collaboration with the University of Texas designed and constructed a pulsed power device to produce more than 2 megaamperes. This current produces strong magnetic fields in small coils with duration on the order of microseconds. At the University of Texas, tests with this device determined the operational characteristics. I will describe the behavior of this device with currents of approximately a megaamp and magnetic fields of more than 60 Tesla. Emphasis is placed on understanding the behavior of the fields and coils.Item Pulsed magnetic field generation for experiments in high energy density plasmas(2014-08) Wisher, Matthew Louis; Hallock, G. A.; Bengtson, Roger D.Experiments in high energy density (HED) plasma physics have become more accessible with the increasing availability of high-intensity pulsed lasers. Extending the experiment parameters to include magnetized HED plasmas requires a field source that can generate fields of order 100 tesla. This dissertation discusses the design and implementation of a pulsed field driver with a designed maximum of 2.2 MA from a 160 kJ capacitor bank. Faraday rotation measurement of 63 T for a 1.0 MA discharge supported Biot-Savart estimates for a single-turn coil with a 1 cm bore. After modification, the field driver generated up to 15 T to magnetize supernova-like spherical blast waves driven by the Texas Petawatt Laser. The presence of the high field suppressed blast wave expansion, and had the additional effect of revealing a cylindrical plasma along the laser axis.