Dynamics of rapidly evolving, magnetically driven instabilities in warm dense plasmas

The implosion of an X-pinch – two or more crossed fine metallic wires driven by a ~100kA, 100ns current pulse – is of great interest to high energy density physics research. Following the rapid ablation of the wires into plasma, the concentration of magnetic field at the cross over point results in a localized, magnetically driven implosion – which pinches the plasma to ultra high densities and pressures. Measurements of the plasma dynamics before and during this ‘m=0 instability’ are presently limited – this proposal aims to utilize the new, 62 bunch structure of ESRF coupled with the high speed radiography system of the ID19 beamline to produce quantitative measurements of the plasma formation and collapse at ~20MHz frequencies, 4x that presently available. The measurements will enable validation of world leading Radiative Magneto Hydrodynamics codes used to simulate the X-pinch process. Validation of such codes are is critical for their use in Inertial Fusion Energy research.