Two-dimensional radiation MHD modeling assessment of designs for argon gas puff distributions for future experiments on the refurbished Z machine

Argon Z-pinch experiments are to be performed on the refurbished Z machine (which we will refer to as ZR here in order to distinguish between pre-refurbishment Z) at Sandia National Laboratories with a new 8 cm diameter double-annulus gas puff nozzle constructed by Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation (AASC). The gas exits the nozzle from an outer and inner annulus and a central jet. The amount of gas present in each region can be varied. Here a two-dimensional radiation MHD (2DRMHD) model, MACH2-TCRE, with tabular collisional radiative equilibrium atomic kinetics is used to theoretically investigate stability and K-shell emission properties of several measured (interferometry) initial gas distributions emanating from this new nozzle. Of particular interest is to facilitate that the distributions employed in future experiments have stability and K-shell emission properties that are at least as good as the Titan nozzle generated distribution that was successfully fielded in earlier experiments on the Z machine before it underwent refurbishment. The model incorporates a self-consistent calculation for non-local thermodynamic equilibrium kinetics and ray-trace based radiation transport. This level of detail is necessary in order to model opacity effects, non-local radiation effects, and the high temperature state of K-shell emitting Z-pinch loads. Comparisons of radiation properties and stability of measured AASC gas profiles are made with that of the distribution used in the pre-refurbished Z experiments. Based on these comparisons, an optimal K-shell emission producing initial gas distribution is determined from among the AASC nozzle measured distributions and predictions are made for K-shell yields attainable from future ZR experiments.