The Effects of Central jet on the Ar-on-D Double-Shell gas Puff Z-Pinch Loads on Sandia Zr for Pulsed Neutron Source

A multi-material double-shell gas puff Z-pinch load design with a higher Z material on outer-shell, acting as a pusher and radiator, compressing on the inner-shell deuterium (D) have been suggested as a way to improve the thermal neutron yield over that of a pure D-on-D Z-pinch plasma. Recent multidimensional radiation MHD simulation studies of the loads, however, have shown that the outer-shell material break-THrough and push-out (BT-PO) of the inner-shell D plasma during the final stagnation stage of the Z-pinch implosion can adversely affect the neutron yield.