Compression between ion and hard x-ray emissions from nitrogen and argon in Mather type plasma focus device

In this study, some characteristics of a Mather type Plasma Focus (PF) device such as a discharge current, pinch time, ion flux and hard x-ray intensity has been investigated simultaneously in argon and nitrogen gases separately for various operating gas pressures and charging voltages of capacitor bank. It was observed that pinch phenomena was energy and pressure dependent in current sheath as well as ion and hard x-ray emission intensity. Optimum pressure with maximum ion flux and the most intense hard x-ray showed a nearly linear dependence on the charging voltage of the device. Maximum ion flux was estimated in the order of 1018 ions per steradian in both gases. Hard x-ray emission was registered a little after discharge current and Faraday cup (FC) signals. Also, optimum pressure for maximum ion flux was not the same as the pressure for intense hard x-rays. Hard x-ray intensity reached its peak at higher pressures.