Investigation of interactions of intense plasma streams with tungsten and carbon fibre composite targets in the PF-1000 facility

Abstract

This paper presents the results of research on interactions of pulsed plasma streams, as generated by the PF-1000 facility, with solid targets made of tungsten or carbon fibre composite. The device was equipped with a modified inner electrode with a central tungsten insert of 50 mm in diameter. The PF-1000 experimental chamber was filled with pure deuterium at p0 = 1.47 hPa. At the charging voltage U0 = 24 kV, the maximum current amounted to 1.8 MA in about 5.5 μs after the discharge initiation. The investigated targets were located on the z-axis, at a distance of 9 cm from the inner electrode end. For plasma diagnostics, optical emission spectroscopy, 16-frame laser interferometry and a soft x-ray measuring system of four silicon pin diodes were used. It was observed that plasma streams reached the target about 100 ns after the maximum compression and generated a plasma pillow at the sample surface, as proved from time-resolved optical spectra.