Pinching evidences in a miniature plasma focus with fast pseudospark switch

Abstract

We report the observations of pinching in a miniature plasma focus (PF) (58—160 J) operated in repetitive mode using fast pseudospark switch (PSS). The size of the device, which includes the capacitor bank, PSS and the focus chamber, is of the order of 22 cm × 22 cm × 38 cm. Several diagnostic tools, the gated imager, streak camera, current and voltage probe, are employed simultaneously to confirm the occurrence of pinching in this fast miniature PF device. The device is optimized for operation in neon and hydrogen as the working gas. The best focus formation was obtained at pressures between 0.5 to 8.0 mbar for neon and between 7.0 to 15.0 mbar for hydrogen. When the system was operated at 100 J with hydrogen as the filling gas, the typical dip in the current derivative signal and the typical peak in the voltage signal associated with pinch compression, are observed to be most intense indicating efficient pinching in the miniature PF device.