Simulation of high-energy proton production by fast magnetosonic shock waves in pinched plasma discharges

Abstract

High-energy particles of a few hundred keV for electrons and up to MeV for ions were observed in a plasma focus device. Haruki et al. [Phys. Plasmas 13, 082106–1 (2006)] studied the mechanism of high-energy particle production in pinched plasma discharges by use of a 3D relativistic and fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code. It was found that the pinched current is unstable against a sausage instability, and then becomes unstable against a kink instability. As a result high-energy electrons were observed, but protons with MeV energies were not observed. In this paper the same pinch dynamics as Haruki and co-workers is investigated, focusing on the shock formation and the shock acceleration during the pinched current. It is found that a fast magnetosonic shock wave is produced during the pinching phase which, after the maximum pinch occurs, is strongly enhanced and propagates outwards. Some protons trapped in the electrostatic potential produced near the shock front can be accelerated to a few MeV by the surfatron acceleration mechanism. It is also found that the protons accelerated along the pinched axis have a ring-shaped angular distribution that is observed from numerous experiments.