X-ray emission at compression of deuterium current-sheath with combined liner and wire in plasma focus discharge

The plasma focus PF 1000 device was operated at the energy of 600-650 kJ and the current maximum of 1.5-1.8 MA. The Al wire (120 μm diameter and length of 3 cm), partly embedded in the foam liner (diameter of 5 mm, length of 1.5 cm and linear mass density of 200-250 μg/cm) was located on the top of the electrode. At the time of the incidence of the current sheath on the liner and the wire pulses of X-rays and neutrons are observed. The pulse of radiation (FWHM 80-200 ns) in XUV and soft X-ray range is generated mainly at the surface of the liner and in the corona around that part of the wire, which is longer than the liner. The presence of the liner in the axis of plasma focus has no significant influence on the hard X-ray production and neutron yield. The neutron pulse was characterized by the FWHM of ∼ 200 ns and the yield up to 5 x 1010. The maximum of the neutron production occurred up to 200 ns later than the maximum of the soft X-rays. (author)