Compact 5 X 10 exp 12 Amp/sec Rail-Gun Pulser for a Laser Plasma Shutter

摘要

We have developed a rail-gun plasma source to produce a plasma of 10 exp 12 cm exp -3 particle density and project it with a velocity of 3.9 cm/ mu s. This device will be used in a output spatial filter of Nova to project a critical density plasma across an optical beam path and block laser retroreflected light. The object of this paper is to describe the design of a pulser appropriate to the Shiva laser fusion facility, and to describe the preliminary design of a higher current prototype pulser for Nova the laser fusion research facility under construction at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. (ERA citation 04:049413)