Abstract-The United Nations University/International Centre for Theoretical Physics Plasma Focus Facility (UNU/ICTP PFF), a 3.3-kJ plasma focus, was designed for operation in deuterium with a speed factor S such that the axial run-down time matches the current rise time at an end axial speed of nearly 10 cm/μs. For operation in neon, we first consider that a focus pinch temperature between 200 and 500 eV may be suitable for a good yield of neon soft X-rays, which corresponds to an end axial speed of 6-7 cm/μs. On this basis, for operation in neon, the standard UNU/ICTP PFF needs to have its anode length z 0 reduced by some 30%-40% to maintain the time matching. Numerical experiments using the Lee model code are carried out to determine the optimum configuration of the electrodes for the UNU/ICTP PFF capacitor system. The results show that an even more drastic shortening of anode length z 0 is required, from the original 16 to 7 cm, at the same time, increasing the anode radius "a" from 0.95 to 1.2 cm, to obtain an optimum yield of Y sxr = 9.5 J. This represents a two-to threefold increase in the Y sxr from that computed for the standard UNU/ICTP PFF.Index Terms-Dense plasma focus, neon plasma, numerical experiments, soft X-ray (SXR) source.

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