Three dimensional resistive wire array implosion simulations continued from two dimensional R-Z initiation simulations

Summary form only given, as follows. We will show resistive 3-d MHD simulations of wire array implosions that continue from 2-d simulations of plasma initiation from wire arrays; they are thus the first 3-d simulations that start with a fully consistent MHD state of density, energy, magnetic flux, and velocity. These simulations are perturbed with a technique that conserves mass, internal energy, magnetic flux and momentum between the 2-d and 3-d phases. The 3-d development shows that azimuthally uncorrelated 3-d perturbations - appropriate for wires - grow more slowly than fully azimuthally correlated 2-d r-z perturbations. Further, the uncorrelated perturbation growth rate is smaller for 56-wire arrays than for 28, because the magnetic field couples more perturbations over the same distance reducing the amplitude of the /spl theta/-independent mode. This may be the explanation for the observed radiation power improvement with increased wire number.