Correlations Among Neutron Yield and Dynamical Discharge Characteristics Obtained from Electrical Signals in a 400 J Plasma Focus

Artículo de publicación ISIDynamical discharge characteristics and their relation with the total neutron yield emitted from a 400 J plasma focus operating in deuterium gas are presented. The dynamical nature of the plasma focus is obtained merely from the analysis of the voltage and current electrical signals without considering any particular geometry for the plasma sheath. It is calculated that large neutron yields are obtained when plasma inductance, mechanical energy and plasma voltage at pinching time have larger values. In contrast, no correlations are found among neutron yields either with plasma propagation velocities or quantities at the beginning of the radial phase. There is also found that the current sheath geometry changes according to the gas pressure, having larger curvature for lower pressures. The calculations also provide estimations of sheath thicknesses at the detachment from the insulator in the range of 0.5–1 mm, being thicker for larger neutron yield.This work is supported by the Chile Bicentennial Program in Science and Technology grant ACT 26, Center for Research and Applications in Plasma Physics and Pulsed Power Technology (P4 Project) F Veloso is supported by CCHEN and grant PSD-01, PBCT