Plasma heating and emission of runaway charged particles in a plasma focus device

Abstract

The required experimental E-field across plasma to generate significant runaway electrons and hard X-rays during the pinch phase and the phase with anomalous resistance has been investigated in a dense plasma focus. The plasma voltage and inductance have been measured in a plasma focus with two different anode tip structures. The results show a significant generation of charged particles and hard X-rays at smaller E-field across the plasma column in the phase of anomalous resistances compared to the pinch phase. Plasma heating process may enhance the rate of runaway-charged-particle generation due to the combined effects of a reduced Dreicer field and the avalanche effects during the phase of anomalous resistance.

Formation of a dual-stage pinch-accelerator in a Z-pinch (plasma focus) device

“…In this letter a new dense plasma focus configuration with an additional cylindrical floating electrode (DPF-FE) between the conventional anode and cathode in a Mather-type plasma focus device will be introduced. The measured tube voltages and discharge current have been interpreted by using circuit analyses technique [5][6][7][8][9][10] and the occurrence of breakdown phase, axial phase, and compression phase has been discussed.…”

“…I is the discharge current that is measured by Rogowski coil and L ext = 70 nH [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Based on eq.…”