Investigating radiation effects on liner and target compression dynamics in gas-puff Z-pinches implosions

Z-pinches have regained interest as a potential pathway to fusion conditions, driven by recent advances in high-current generators and in experimental capabilities. Among various configurations, the Staged Z-pinch concept employs high-atomic number liners to enhance radiative effects during compression. Radiation plays a critical role in both the preheating of the target and the compression of the liner, which, in turn, influences the target conditions in stagnation. In this work, an analytical framework on radiative compressional waves is applied to the design of radiative Z-pinch implosions, demonstrating how radiation effects vary with the Boltzmann number and the optical thickness of the liner. This analysis provides a foundation for identifying an optimized parameter space for high-Z liner implosions, focusing on liner compression and target preheating in one-dimensional models. Future extensions to two and three dimensions will assess the impact of radiation on the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability.