Pressure Evolution in the Chamber of a Dense Plasma Focus Device
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 70543, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)
Adsorption and desorption of impurities in the filling gas, by the electrodes, the insulator and chamber materials of plasma focus devices, have been suggested as probable causes for the fluctuations in their neutron yield. This work describes analysis of data, aimed at looking for evidence to support this hypothesis. Before starting each series of discharges, a vacuum around 10-6 torr, is achieved. The filling gas, pure deuterium, is maintained under static conditions. A sudden fall of the initial pressure, around 5%, is systematically observed after the first shot in each series, before creeping back at an almost constant rate, in successive shots. On the other hand, for the first shot with fresh filling gas, the neutron yield is always low, and systematically increases for the second one. Except for the first two shots, we find no evidence to support the hypothesis that the neutron yield fluctuations are related to an adsorption-desorption process. It is also observed that, as the number of shots increases for each series, the neutron yield variability tends to increase, as higher yields are obtained for a few shots.
- OSTI ID:
- 20729245
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 808, Issue 1; Conference: 6. international conference on dense Z-pinches, Oxford (United Kingdom), 25-28 Jul 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2159349; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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