Blast wave experiments at Z

Blast waves (BWs) form when the wave speed of an initially diffusive, supersonic radiation wave becomes subsonic and creates a radiographically-visible, hydrodynamic shock wave. BWs are a novel diagnostic in radiation-flow, code validation experiments that use Sandia’s Z-accelerator’s dynamic hohlraum (DH) as a radiative source. The physics models being tested are sensitive to delivered energy and power changes of better than ±10%; therefore, precise in-situ radiative power and energy measurements are required for quantitative comparisons between simulation and experiment. The energy sensitive BW diagnostic complements bolometric and x-ray radiometric diagnostics in providing these measurements. Recent comparisons between BW qualification experiments and simulations have revealed a spatial dependence on the radiation source. We discuss the experimental design and sensitivities for the BW diagnostic and experimental results in comparison to simulations and other diagnostics.