Laser-beam-scattering measurement of ion temperature in a theta-pinch plasma and evidence for thermonuclear reactions

Results are reported on an experiment to measure the ion temperature in a 100-kJ θ-pinch deuterium plasma. A ruby laser was used for scattering observations at 5° and 90° using multichannel spectrum analyzers and gave n=1.05×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and Tᵢ=300 eV. An independent measurement of the density was made by means of Rayleigh scattering. The neutron yield from the plasma was measured to be 8×10⁸ sec⁻¹. The observed neutron emission was compared with that expected from a plasma with an ion temperature of 300 eV and was found to be of thermonuclear origin.