The current research has continued on the PF-1000 plasma focus device at the current of 2 MA by comparison of the shots with and without injected deuterium. The increase of the total neutron yield at the level of 1010–1011 per shot was achieved after the compression of about 10 μg/cm of the deuterium from the gas-valve by about 46 μg/cm of the neon or deuterium plasma sheath. It increases five times at the decrease of the puffing deuterium mass to one-half. In shots with neon in the chamber and with puffing deuterium, a considerable decrease was confirmed of the soft X-ray emission in comparison with shots without deuterium injection. This decrease can be explained by the absence of the neon in the region of the compressed and hot plasma. The deuterium plasma from the gas-puff should then be confined in the internal structures both in the phase of implosion as well as during their formation and transformation. In shots with puffing deuterium, the evolution of instabilities in the plasma column was suppressed. The deuterium plasma has a higher conductance and better ability to form expressive and dense plasmoids and to transport the internal current in comparison with neon plasma. Neutrons were produced both at the initial phase of stagnation, as well as at a later time at the evolution of the constrictions and dense plasmoids.

This work reports on recent experiments performed at the modernized PF-1000U plasma-focus facility. In contrast to earlier studies the main attention was focussed on measurements of the soft x-ray emission. Detailed time-integrated x-ray measurements, carried out using filtered pinhole cameras with sensitive x-ray films, are presented and analysed. The fine structure of the collapsing current sheath and dense pinch column is investigated. Observations of 'plasma filaments' are discussed and compared with those from the old POSEIDON facility. New results are time-integrated x-ray images of PF-1000U discharges with additional gas puffing, which in many cases show distinct plasma filaments and/or 'hot spots' formed inside the dense pinch column. The formation of such 'hot-spots' is explained by necking and breaking of the plasma filaments. Results of time-resolved x-ray measurements, performed outside the experimental chamber by means of scintillation probes, and inside with PIN-diodes placed behind pinholes and absorption filters, are also presented Time-resolved measurements, carried out using an old XUV framing-camera and a new soft x-ray four-frame camera (SXRFFC), are also presented and discussed. Correlations of the time-integrated x-ray images (of plasma filaments and hot spots) with time-resolved x-ray signals are discussed. The hypothesis that plasma-current filaments appear in almost all PF-type discharges is supported by pictures of radial erosion tracks on the anode front-plate after many discharges.

The paper presents results of experimental studies of dense and high-temperature plasmas, which were produced by pulsed high-current discharges within a modernised PF-1000U facility operated at different initial gas conditions, and supplied from a condenser bank which delivered energy of about 350 kJ. The investigated discharges were performed at the initial deuterium filling under pressure of 1.6-2.0 hPa, with or without an additional puffing of pure deuterium (1 cm 3 , under pressure 0.15 MPa, at instants 1.5-2 ms before the main discharge initiation). For a comparison discharges were also performed at the initial neon filling under pressure of 1.1-1.3 hPa, with or without the addition of deuterium puffing. The recorded discharge current waveforms, laser interferometric images, signals of hard x-rays and fusion neutrons, as well as time-integrated x-ray pinhole images and time-resolved x-ray signals were compared. From a ratio of the x-ray signals recorded behind beryllium filters of different thickness there were estimated values of a plasma electron temperature (T e ) in a region at the electrode outlets. For pure deuterium discharges an averaged T e value amounted to 150-170 eV, while for neon discharges with the deuterium puffing it reached 330-880 eV (with accuracy of ±20%).

Abstract. The paper reports results of the recent experimental studies of pulsed electron beams and soft X-rays in plasma-focus (PF) experiments carried out within a modifi ed PF-360U facility at the NCBJ, Poland. Particular attention was focused on time-resolved measurements of the fast electron beams by means of two different magnetic analyzers, which could record electrons of energy ranging from about 41 keV to about 715 keV in several (6 or 8) measuring channels. For discharges performed with the pure deuterium fi lling, many strong electron signals were recorded in all the measuring channels. Those signals were well correlated with the fi rst hard X-ray pulse detected by an external scintillation neutron-counter. In some of the analyzer channels, electron spikes (lasting about dozens of nanoseconds) and appearing in different instants after the current peculiarity (so-called current dip) were also recorded. For several discharges, fast ion beams, which were emitted along the z-axis and recorded with nuclear track detectors, were also investigated. Those measurements confi rmed a multibeam character of the ion emission. The time-integrated soft X-ray images, which were taken side-on by means of a pinhole camera and sensitive X-ray fi lms, showed the appearance of some fi lamentary structures and so-called hot spots. The application of small amounts of admixtures of different heavy noble gases, i.e. of argon (4.8% volumetric), krypton (1.6% volumetric), or xenon (0.8% volumetric), decreased intensity of the recorded electron beams, but increased intensity of the soft X-ray emission and showed more distinct and numerous hot spots. The recorded electron spikes have been explained as signals produced by quasi-mono-energetic microbeams emitted from tiny sources (probably plasma diodes), which can be formed near the observed hot spots.

Abstract. Soft X-ray imaging is a very useful diagnostic technique in plasma-focus (PF) experiments. This paper reports results of four experimental sessions which were carried out at the DPF-1000U plasma-focus facility in 2013 and 2014. Over 200 discharges were performed at various experimental conditions. Measurements were taken using two X-ray pinhole cameras with a line of sight perpendicular to the z-axis, at different azimuthal angles (about 20° and 200°), and looking towards the centre of the PF-pinch column. They were equipped with diaphragms 1000 m or 200-300 m in diameter and coated with fi lters of 500 m Al foil and 10 m Be foil, respectively. Data on the neutron emission were collected with silver activation counters. For time-resolved measurements the use was made of four PIN diodes equipped with various fi lters and oriented towards the centre of the PF-column, in the direction perpendicular to the electrode axis. The recorded X-ray images revealed that when the additional gas-puff system is activated during the discharge, the stability of the discharge is improved. The data collected in these experiments confi rmed the appearance of a fi lamentary fi ne structure in the PF discharges. In the past years the formation of such fi laments was observed in many Z-pinch type experiments. Some of the recorded X-ray images have also revealed the appearance of the so-called hot--spots, i.e. small plasma regions of a very intense X-ray emission. Such a phenomenon was observed before in many PF experiments, e.g. in the MAJA-PF device, but it has not been investigated so far in a large facility such as the DPF-1000U. The time-resolved measurements provided the evidence of a time lapse between the X-ray emission from plasma regions located at different distance from the anode surface. The formation of distinct 'hot-spots' in different instants of the DPF-1000U discharge was also observed.

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