Application of VisRad modeling to design of hohlraum experiments on Zebra with enhanced current

VisRad (Prism Computational Sciences), a 3-D view factor code, is used to simulate the multi-dimensional radiation environment within a compact hohlraum. A new hohlraum design proposed in B. Jones, et al. [PRL, v.104, 125001, (2010)] incorporates multiple compact (mm-scale) planar wire array (PWA) x-ray sources that surround a target in the center of the hohlraum cavity, allowing a reduction of hohlraum surface area and potentially providing a hotter x-ray environment. The first experiments with this prototype of hohlraum with two magnetically-decoupled PWA sources were performed on the 1.7 MA Zebra at the University of Nevada, Reno without significant loss of radiation yields and power due to implementation of a new Load Current Multiplier (LCM). VisRad simulations have predicted a center hohlraum radiation temperature >; 30eV, showing good correlation to experimental EUV data (hν >; 17 eV). Special emphasis is made on T_rad and uniformity at the test target surface. Also discussed is the scaling of the new hohlraum multisource configurations using VisRad for higher current, 20 MA-scale generators.