Analytical modeling of a self-magnetically insulated plasma focus diode

A steady-state analytical model is used to calculate the operational parameters of a coaxial-type, self-magnetically insulated ion-beam diode, called a plasma focus diode (PFD). The electrons are described by nonlaminar flow with a constant radial density distribution instead of the density profile determined self-consistently by one-dimensional laminar flow. The calculated results were compared with the experimental results obtained at the peak power, and good agreement was obtained between them. From the theoretical understanding of the PFD we obtained the scaling relations of diode impedance and the ion-current efficiency and used them to discuss the possible ways to increase the coupling efficiency and the ion-current efficiency and to reduce the instabilities in the diode operation. (Author)