The effect of anode shape on neon soft x-ray emissions and current sheath configuration in plasma focus device

Abstract

The effect of three different anode shapes, flat, tapered and hemispherical, on the x-ray emission characteristics of a neon filled UNU–ICTP plasma focus device is investigated. The current sheath dynamics, in the radial collapse phase, has been simultaneously interrogated using the laser shadowgraphy method to understand the variation in x-ray emission characteristics for anodes of different shapes used in the experiments. The maximum neon soft x-ray (SXR) yield for the flat anode is about 7.5 ± 0.4 J at 4 mbar, whereas for hemispherical and tapered anodes the neon SXR is almost halved with the optimum pressure shifting to a lower value of 3 mbar. The laser shadowgraphic images confirm that the reduction in the overall neon SXR yield is due to the reduced focused plasma column length for these anodes. The relative HXR yield was the highest for the hemispherical anode followed by the tapered and the flat anodes in that order. The shadowgraphic images and the voltage probe signals confirmed that for the hemispherical anode the multiple-pinch phenomenon was most commonly observed, which could be responsible for multiple HXR bursts for this anode with maximum HXR yields.