Influence of the Al wire placed in the anode axis on the transformation of the deuterium plasma column in the plasma focus discharge

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4953569· OSTI ID:22600124

Kubes, P.; Cikhardtova, B.; Cikhardt, J.; Klir, D.; Kravarik, J.; Rezac, K. ^[1]; Paduch, M.; Zielinska, E. ^[2]; Zaloga, D. ^[3]; Sadowski, M. J. ^[2]; Tomaszewski, K. ^[4]

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1. Czech Technical University, 166-27 Prague (Czech Republic)
2. Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland)
3. National Centre for Nuclear Research, 05-400 Otwock-Świerk (Poland)
4. ACS Co., 01-497 Warsaw (Poland)

In this paper, we describe the influence of an Al wire of 270 μm in diameter placed along the anode axis on the transformation of the deuterium pinch column in a megaampere (MA) plasma focus device. The evolution of the pinched column and of the wire corona was investigated by means of the multiframe interferometry, neutron and X-ray diagnostics. The wire corona did not influence considerably on the evolution of dense plasma structures and neutron production, but it increased the plasma density and consequently, the currents around its surface. The distribution of the closed internal currents (ranging hundreds of kA) and associated magnetic fields amounting to 5 T were also estimated in the dense plasma column and in plasmoidal structures at the near-equilibrium state. The description is based on the balance of the plasma pressure and the pressure of the internal poloidal and toroidal current components compressed by the external pinched column. The dominant number of fusion deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutrons is produced during the evolution of instabilities, when the uninterrupted wire corona (containing deuterium) connects the dense structures of the pinch, and it did not allow the formation of a constriction of the sub-millimeter diameter.

• OSTI ID: 22600124
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 23, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
ANODES
BALANCES
DEUTERIUM
DISTRIBUTION
EQUILIBRIUM
INSTABILITY
INTERFEROMETRY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRONS
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA FOCUS
PLASMA FOCUS DEVICES
PLASMA PRESSURE
SURFACES
TRANSFORMATIONS
WIRES
X RADIATION