Hard X-ray dose intensity and spatial distribution in a plasma focus device using thermoluminescence dosimeters

Abstract

In the present study, X-ray emission dose characteristics from a small Mather-type PF device in various pressures of argon as the operating gas were studied. The PF device was powered by a 12 μF capacitor at 25 kV charging voltage. Time-integrated hard X-ray (HXR) emission was investigated using thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs). These detectors were calibrated with 60Co and 131Cs sources. Twenty-four dosimeters were placed at four different radial distances from the axis of the electrodes at the top of the anode to measure the dose spatial distribution at the top of the anode for different pressures (0.5–1.3 mbar). At each radius, six dosimeters were placed circularly with equal angular intervals on the inner surface of the device chamber. It was found that the optimum pressure for the highest yield of X-ray is 0.9 mbar. The maximum measured dose was 17 mGy per shot at the top of the anode and about 0.5 mGy per shot at 90° with respect to the anode axis. Furthermore, these results showed that the dose at each radius is symmetrical at 360° around the top of the anode, but X-ray distribution follows an anisotropical behaviour. A fast plastic scintillator was also used for time-resolved HXR detection, and a linear relation was observed between the amplitude of the scintillator-PMT signals and TLD responses.