Correlation Analysis of Intense and High-Energy Deuteron Beam, Pinch Images, and Neutron Yield

Abstract

The time-integrated imaging of pinched plasma column in the NX2 plasma focus device is performed using a generalpurpose digital SLR camera with neutral density filters (ND 0.9). Although it is very simple, some useful information is obtained from the pinch phase of plasma focus device, and the images are compared with the neutron yield, electron, and ion beams produced in the compressed plasma column. The correlation between the pinch images, the range of deuteron energies, and the optimum neutron condition shows two regimes of plasma focus performance: high-pressure regime for maximum neutron yield production and low-pressure regime for high-energy ion (and electron) beam production.Index Terms-High-energy deuteron beams, neutron yield, pinch imaging.

An alternative scaling model for neutron production in Z-pinch devices

“…Yet it is known that pinches produce ions with energy $50 keV or higher in the non-thermal spectrum. [12][13][14][15] There must therefore be a secondary acceleration mechanism that imparts such high energy to the ions. One source of this energy is high electric fields generated in m ¼ 0 necks or by rapid dissipation of magnetic vortices.…”