High performance simulations of a single X-pinch

Abstract

The dynamics of plasmas produced by low current X-pinch devices are explored. This comprehensive computational study is the first step in the preparation of an experimental campaign aiming to understand the formation of plasma jets in table-top pulsed power X-pinch devices. Two state-of-the-art Magneto-Hydro-Dynamic codes, GORGON and PLUTO, are used to simulate the evolution of the plasma and describe its key dynamic features. GORGON and PLUTO are built on different approximation schemes and the simulation results obtained are discussed and analyzed in relation to the physics adopted by each code. Both codes manage to accurately handle the numerical demands of the X-pinch plasma evolution and provide precise details on the mechanisms of the plasma expansion, the jet-formation, and the pinch generation. Furthermore, the influence of electrical resistivity, radiation transport and optically thin losses on the dynamic behaviour of the simulated X-pinch produced plasma is studied in PLUTO. Our findings highlight the capabilities of the GORGON and PLUTO codes in simulating the wide range of plasma conditions found in X-pinch experiments, enabling for the direct comparison to the scheduled experiments.

Progress on the electro-thermo-mechanical instability and its role as seed on plasma instabilities

“…The loaded wire was modelled using finite elements, while boundary elements were used to model the surrounding vacuum. At the transition to the plasma phase, the results of the Lagrangian FEM-BEM simulation were input to the coupled modified 3D resistive MHD code PLUTO [37][38][39] for the study of the plasma and instability dynamics. The coupled FEM-BEM simulation was able to compute all the states of matter from the solid to the plasma phase as well as their transitions.…”