Soft X-ray spectroscopic investigation of a plasma focus operated in pure neon

The soft X-ray emission of the medium-energy plasma focus device IPF-2/20 operated in pure neon was studied with spectral resolution. The spectra of H- and He-like Ne ions were recorded by means of a de Broglie spectrograph for initial filling pressures in the range 1.3 ÷ 7 torr. Both the soft X-ray emission characteristics and the plasma parameters are strongly dependent on the working gas pressure. The intensity of the He-like neon ions lines increases when the working gas pressure is raised, while for the H-like ions it has a maximum for about 5 torr filling. The electron density has values of the order of 10²⁰ cm⁻³. The electron temperature ranges between 300 and 350 eV. Both the plasma density and the plasma temperature decrease when the initial gas pressure is increased.