A review of the dense Z-pinch

摘要: The Z-pinch, perhaps the oldest subject in plasma physics, has achieved a remarkable renaissance recent years, following few decades of neglect due to its basically unstable MHD character. Using wire arrays, significant transition at high number led great improvement both compression and uniformity Z-pinch. Resulting from this Z-accelerator Sandia 20 MA 100 ns produced powerful, short pulse, soft x-ray source >230 TW for 4.5 ns) efficiency ~15%. This applications inertial confinement fusion. Several hohlraum designs have been tested. vacuum demonstrated control symmetry irradiation on capsule, while dynamic higher radiation temperature 230 eV compressed capsule 2 mm 0.8 mm diameter with neutron yield >3 × 1011 thermal DD neutrons, record any implosion. World ion temperatures >200 keV recently measured stainless-steel designed Kα emission stagnation, due, it was predicted, ion-viscous heating associated dissipation fast-growing wavelength nonlinear instabilities. Direct fusion experiments using deuterium gas-puffs yielded 3.9 1013 neutrons only 5% asymmetry, suggesting first time mainly source. physics wire-array implosions is dominant theme. It concerned transformation wires liquid-vapour expanding cores; then generation surrounding corona which carries most current, inward flowing low magnetic Reynolds jets correlated axial instabilities each wire; later an almost constant velocity, snowplough-like implosion occurs during gaps appear cores, leading stagnation axis, production main soft-x-ray pulse. These studies pursued also smaller facilities other laboratories around world. At Imperial College, conical radial arrays highly collimated tungsten Mach >20, allowing laboratory astrophysics be undertaken. highlights will underpinned review basic Z-pinches including stability, kinetic effects, finally applications.