Coulomb Explosion of the Debye Layer As a Mechanism for the Formation of a High-Energy Ion Flow in the Plasma of a Micropinch Discharge

Abstract

Flows of ions with energies on the order of megaelectronvolts, which propagate both in the axial direction and in the direction perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the discharge, are recorded in a high-current low inductance vacuum spark. Estimates based on the measurements of the total charge of suprathermal electrons emitted from the region of the waist of the current channel in the axial direction, as well as the total number of ions of the indicated energies show that the recorded ion energies correspond quite well to the value that can be achieved as a result of the Coulomb explosion of the Debye waist layer at the stage preceding the radiation compression.