Development of an attachment for continuous step-by-step shock-wave irradiation of long-length superconducting tapes in the «Plasma Focus» setup

The article presents the results of the creation of an additional attachment placed on the "Plasma Focus" installation (PF), and designed for uniform movement of superconducting tapes through the working chamber of PF. This device allows step-by-step shock-wave impact at the long superconducting samples and tapes in the "Plasma Focus" installation in order to increase their superconducting and technological characteristics. The worth of this device that the process of irradiation of the tapes can be carried out without interrupting and completely turning the plasma installation off, which is usually necessary to displace the tape and make the strike to the next section of the tape. The use of attachment also allows to get an additional data integrated over the length of the processed tape and to study the effect of plasma shock-wave action to the physical and structural properties of tapes. The experiments carried out will make it possible to select and test the optimal plasma strike models and recommend further conditions of shock-wave treatment, which would make it possible to use this method for long tapes with the aim of using them in various devices. (paper)