Two-dimensional implosion of liners

A two-dimensional implosion of liners is studied. This is instead of the co nventional one-dimensional cylindrical implosion of Z pinches, where there is a wire array or a gas-puff liner, which has a cylindrical shape and an u niform mass distribution along the z axis. Two-dimensional Z-pinch compress ion can be realized utilizing either a spherically shaped wire array or a d ouble gas-puff liner with a special mass distribution along the z-axis. The results obtained from computer simulations show that both kinds of liners can be compressed in both the z and the r directions. This results in a uni form and a high-power heating of the spherical dynamic hohlraum placed insi de the liner. The spherical, two-dimensional liner implosion increases the power density at the hohlraum surface, improves the symmetry of the capsule irradiation and helps partially in quenching of the Rayleigh-Taylor instab ility. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(99)00305-5].