User liaison
Kenneth Mikkelson (kamikke@sandia.gov)
Sandia National Laboratories
P.O. Box 5800, MS 1106
Albuquerque, NM 87185-1106
phone: (505) 845-7044
FAX: (505) 845-7819
Explosives Contact
Leanna Minier (lminier@sandia.gov)
Sandia National Laboratories
P.O. Box 5800, MS 1455
Albuquerque, NM 87185-1455
phone: (505) 844-2352
FAX: (505) 844-5924
The Pulsed Power and System Validation User Facility offers access to unique equipment to support specialized research, along with the expertise to address complex problems dealing with radiation effects.
User Support
The knowledgeable staff brings a broad spectrum of experience in the design and setup of experiments. Emphasis is placed on optimizing the operation and results of the facility's large radiation sources in support of the following applications:
- High explosive design, testing and, including test range facilities and world-recognized expertise on specialized explosive applications
- Electronics and materials research on the effects of radiation
- Development and application of specialized radiation transport and electromagnetic computer codes (Integrated Tiger Series, Quicksilver, and others)
- Investigating intense magnetic fields and their effects
- Research on extremely high power levels (>200TW), high x-ray energy output (2.0 MJ) and high hohlraum temperature (>150eV)
The facilities state-of-the-art equipment resources include:
- EAL (Explosives Applications Lab), which includes test range facilities
- Z x-ray source, world's most powerful pulsed power facility
- Saturn x-ray and HERMES gamma-ray sources for large area, volume exposures
- SPHINX x-ray source for small area exposures
- RHEPP repetitive pulsed high energy source
Some of the facilities past and on going research efforts are on the leading edge of pulsed power and system validation techniques:
- Development of the largest, most powerful x-ray and y-ray sources in the world
- Development of ion beam technology to harden materials and extend the material lifetime
- Radiation transport and electromagnetic code design, development, and authorship
- Development of repetitively pulsed power sources to sterilized medical waste, timber, or food products
- Design and test of explosively-driven valves for specialized applications; one such valve sealed a 48-inch diameter pipe in 30-ms
Availability
This facility is available to support any application that can benefit from its unique capabilities. Arrangements can be made by contacting one of the user liaisons.
