ESCALANDO UN PLASMA FOCUS A ENERGÍAS MENORES QUE 1 JOULE

L SOTO; C PÁVEZ; J MORENO; A CLAUSSE; M BARBAGLIA

Antofagasta

Simposio; XIV Simposio Chileno de Física; 2004

As a way to investigate the minimum energy to produce a pinch plasma focus discharge, an ultra miniature device has been designed and constructed (nanofocus NF: 5nF, 5-10kV, 5-10kA, 60-250 mJ, 16 ns ns time to peak current). Sub-millimetric anode radii covered by coaxial insulators were used for experiments in hydrogen. Evidence of pinch was observed in electrical signals in discharges operating at 100 mJ. A single-frame image converter camera (4ns exposure) was used to obtain plasma images in the visible range. The dynamics observed from the photographs is consistent with: a) formation of a plasma sheath close to the insulator surface, b) the plasma sheath arrive over the anode, c) radial compression over the anode, and d) finally the plasma is detached from the anode in the axial direction. The total time since stage a) to d) was observed in ~30 ns.  X ray and neutron emission is being studied. Neutron yield of the order of 103 neutron per shot is expected for discharges operating in deuterium at10kA.