Variation of Radiation Emission with Argon Gas Pressure in UM Plasma Focus with the Hollow Anode

Abstract

A Plasma Focus device (2.2 kJ, 12 kV) is studied as a pulsed X-ray source, operated with Argon at a filling pressure in the range of 0.7 to 2.5 mbar. The time resolved X-ray signals are measured with an array of PIN diode detectors. The X-ray emission produced by the plasma focus discharge at various pressures is investigated and compared. It is found that at the high pressure regime of more than 1.5 mbar, very consistent and high output of X-ray radiation is obtained, at the peak of the discharge current. A remarkable increase of about five times of the average X-ray yield is achieved at optimum pressure 1.7 mbar compared to that obtained at other pressures. An indirect method to determine the electron temperature of the plasma is achieved by using the array of 5 channel PIN diode detector coupled with Al foil of different thicknesses. The result shows that the electron temperature of the plasma is 7 keV, when the operating pressure is at 1.7 mbar. The maximum total X-ray yield is about 2.53 mJ per shot at optimum pressure, equivalent to the efficiency of 0.00012%.