High Energy Density Physics at Sandia: Material Science at Mbar Regimes

Dawn Flicker, Sandia National Laboratory

Tuesday November 3, 2:00-3:00pm

SERF, Room 383

Abstract: Sandia’s Z facility stores 22MJ of energy which is released in pulses of up to 25MA peak current with 200-1000ns rise times. These currents generate strong magnetic fields which can be used to create high pressures in dynamic material experiments. High pressure material data is important for several fields including earth and planetary science and ICF.  Through control of the pulse shape and design of the experimental load, Z can perform quasi-isentropic , plate-impact shock wave, and hybrid shock-ramp experiments on a variety of materials. This capability enables evaluation of material equation-of-state and strength in extreme conditions. Quasi-isentropic compression experiments produce pressures of around 400GPa without shocks. Shock compression experiments can exceed 2000GPa pressures. Very high precision is possible for both types of experiments. This presentation will describe the techniques and analysis for Z dynamic material experiments and show representative data for a variety of materials. The Z Fundamental Science Program( ZFSP), which enables the academic community to take advantage of the facility, and other opportunities for collaboration will be highlighted.   

Bio: Dawn Flicker received her BS, MS, and Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Oklahoma in 1982, 1984 and 1987 respectively. She served as staff member and then group leader in the Applied Theoretical Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1989 to 2004.  She was involved in high pressure investigations of explosives, polymers, and metals leading to new strength, damage and EOS models. Her interests led to program management in the dynamic materials and hydrodynamic experiment programs at Los Alamos from 2005 to 2008. She strove to improve the coupling between theory, model development, diagnostics and experiments to advance material understanding and representation. In 2008, she moved to Sandia National Laboratories, where she currently serves as senior manager for High Energy Density Material Physics and Deputy Program Manager for NNSA Science Campaigns. She leads the design and execution of materials experiment on Sandia’s Z machine, gas gun facility and small pulsar and coordinates Sandia’s Science Program work for stockpile stewardship. Her current interests include new techniques for higher pressure and more flexible materials experiments, phase and temperature diagnostics, academic relations, and capitalizing on new capabilities in HED.