Characterization of the axial plasma shock in a table top plasma focus after the pinch and its possible application to testing materials for fusion reactors
- Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, Casilla 188-D, Santiago (Chile)
- Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago (Chile)
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago (Chile)
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago (Chile)
- CNEA-CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Centro, 7000 Tandil (Argentina)
- CONICET and Universidad de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata (Argentina)
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico)
The characterization of plasma bursts produced after the pinch phase in a plasma focus of hundreds of joules, using pulsed optical refractive techniques, is presented. A pulsed Nd-YAG laser at 532 nm and 8 ns FWHM pulse duration was used to obtain Schlieren images at different times of the plasma dynamics. The energy, interaction time with a target, and power flux of the plasma burst were assessed, providing useful information for the application of plasma focus devices for studying the effects of fusion-relevant pulses on material targets. In particular, it was found that damage factors on targets of the order of 10{sup 4} (W/cm{sup 2})s{sup 1/2} can be obtained with a small plasma focus operating at hundred joules.
- OSTI ID:
- 22403368
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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