Model experiments to adjust the elements of the pulsed power system for ALT-3 assembly

Electromagnetic implosion of the cylindrical condensed liners is of great interest for the studies of high energy density physics, and in particular for getting pressures of terapascal range and for measuring the Hugoniots of materials under such pressures. The pulsed power systems on the basis of disk explosive magnetic generators (DEMG) provide the highest currents in the liner loads. A device on the basis of a 15-element DEMG Ø 0.4 m with a foil current opening switch and an explosive closing switch connecting the load is being developed to explore a possibility of driving the aluminum liner to a velocity of ~ 20 km/s and using it as an impactor. It is planned to check the operability of this device in the joint VNIIEF-LANL experiment ALT-3. To test the key systems of the ALT-3 assembly, a series of model experiments has been conducted. The model units will be described, the setup of the experiments testing the operability of the explosive current closing switch able to commute the currents of 60 - 70 MA and the system of high-voltage insulation of the line delivering the energy to the liner and able to withstand high voltages will be discussed. The experiment with the system modeling the ALT-3 device to check the scheme of operation of the pulsed power source' elements and the operability of disk elements under the explosive magnetic regime at the initial feeding current of 7.0 - 7.5 MA will be considered.