Effect of anode end structures on plasma pinching and neutron yield in a plasma focus

The anode (center electrode) end structures of the Mather-type plasma focus are found to influence the current sheath (CS) implosion and pinching mainly in two ways: one is that the anode topology determines the motion status of the sliding front of the CS which must always move along and keep contact with the anode surface, by which three interrelated series of anode structures can be grouped with respect to the effect of the anode edge geometry, the hole and the stub structures at the anode end, respectively. The other is by the interaction mechanism of the azimuthal magnetic field introduced in front of the CS by the anode end discharge initiated by the 'needle-point'-like anode end erosion structures, which is found to act as a stabilization mechanism to the imploding CS and is essential for plasma pinching