Advanced Radiation Theory Support Annual Report 2004

Abstract : This report describes the work of the Radiation Hydrodynamics Branch during FY 2004 in support of the DTRA's PRS and Sandia National Laboratories high energy density programs. It is a compilation of articles that were co-authored by Branch members. The titles are: (1) Controlling uniformity of gas-puff and wire array implosions with wire current-carrying structures, (2) Two- and three-wire loads for large current machines, (3) Enhanced energy coupling and X-ray emission in Z-pinch plasma implosions, (4) Spectroscopic diagnosis of nested-wire-array dynamics and interpenetration at 7 MA, (5) Characterization of on-axis plasma heating for keV X-ray production with Z-pinches, (6) Interferometric measurement of physical phenomena during the implosion phase of a puff-on-puff Z-pinch load on Double-EAGLE, and (7) Design of a multilayer mirror monochromatic X-ray imager for the Z accelerator.